Great vlog for a great series. Im a Malazan superfan with 4 full read throughs and you hit the nail on the head when you said its awesome to be trusted by the author. To me its one of the best things about Erikson, beyond the amazing story and world etc... Having the author trust that you are smart enough to keep up is actually rare and deeply appreciated by me at least. Cant wait to see the rest of your journey if you keep on going.
4 full read throughs!? Wow! Looking forward to getting further into a series that is capable of creating this level of fan devotion! Thanks so much for the comment, and look forward to discussing further.
I really enjoyed this video I've read book of the Fallen and Novels of the Malazan empire I read the books at the same pace you described beginning in January 2021 Every other book I read is now a Malazan book until I'm completely caught up with the series I've started Forge of Darkness Looking forward to the rest of your Malazan videos
Again, thanks for watching and commenting, James (I think I'm replying to your comments out of order). I think the reading pace you describe is the ideal pace for reading this series. It's too deep a series to binge without getting burned out on, but if you read it too slowly, you'll lose momentum and probably the feel for the story. I'm looking forward to catching up to you, but for now, I'm just enjoying the journey!
This is the only one of the Malazan books I've read so far and I was also impressed with Malazan's world-I loved the feeling that a vast clockwork far too old and intricate for me to even begin to comprehend was churning behind the scenes, and all I saw was a small sliver of the hands it set in motion. At the same time, I completely agree with your points about shoehorned character establishment/development... I didn't feel the connections I would have liked to with the characters and that's the primary way I like to engage with stories, learning about and growing to understand people. However I'm heartened to know the series only improves in later entries and I'm excited to sink into Deadhouse Gates, just as soon as I finish reading the last entry in Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, and then maybe a quick foray into another genre so I'm not glutting myself too much on gargantuan fantasy series haha maybe I'll finally read The Dispossessed by Le Guin!
Sounds like we’re very much on the same page! Given our similar tastes, how long did it take you to get into Hobb? Did it take a few books or were you hooked from the very beginning? I’ve only read Assassin’s Apprentice, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the prose, I didn’t connect with the characters or the plot… Enjoy Le Guin. Everything I’ve read by her I’ve enjoyed. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@ADudeWhoReads Hobb's plots in particular seem to be a sticking point for many, and I think it's completely understandable; if the books are anything they're an incredibly slow burn. For my part I did find myself connecting with the characters, even more so in Royal Assassin, the book following Assassin's Apprentice, and that connection is what keeps me revisiting Hobb. The prose which you mentioned is a big part of that, too; her books are very experiential and intimate reads for me. While I think the series has only gotten better with each entry, Royal Assassin isn't particularly different than Assassin's Apprentice-it may well be that it's just a point where our tastes diverge, and if so no big :) I haven't gotten to them yet, but I hear her Liveship Traders Trilogy is highly lauded even by those who didn't enjoy her first three books as much, and that they can be read as a standalone-could always give those a try, if you're ever short on things to read (as rare as that is for any lover of reading). And yes I quite like Le Guin, her ideas, especially in her science fiction, feel so freeform and liberated and yet are expressed with a concise clarity that's a joy to read. One of my favorite authors. Thanks for the response and excited to see where your channel goes from here!
@@richardanderson8107 I may be forcing it because so many people whose tastes seem to align with me love Hobb. I think I might switch over to the Liveship trilogy and if that lands for me, then I'll come back to Fitz. As for Le Guin, what I like about her writing is that she weaves a great story around what is essentially a complex conversation around difficult ideas. The Lefthand of Darkness is one of the most nuanced discussions of gender that I've ever read and it's wrapped in an enjoyable story! Thanks again for your thoughtful comments!
I fell in love right away just from the opening paragraph describing a rusty old weather vane swinging in the wind just above a city on fire. The writing was so beautiful and made such a strong first impression, I knew I'd be in good hands for 10 books. And the writing just gets better and better and better, topping out in book 6 maybe, by my estimation, and just stays at that incredibly high quality through the end. Never seen a writer analyze themes more deeply, with such poignant, thoughtful ideas behind everything, while also being fearless. Some fantasy writers seem to pull their punches because maybe they've, conciously or unconsciously, bought into the idea that fantasy is escapism and shouldn't be deep or difficult. Erikson's starting point with his writing and premises is that fantasy is full-blown literature that deserves your full respect and attention. While also throwing in comedy and fireballs 😂
I couldn't agree more! In the video I said I couldn't believe this was his first novel, which was actually wrong. It was his second novel, and he'd written a few novellas as well. STILL, it's impressive! At the same time, it's not all that surprising. When you hear fans and readers talk about Erikson's writing, they often praise his complex and intricate worlds, and allude to his background creating roleplaying games. When you hear ERIKSON talk about his writing, he talks a lot about his training as a writer, the Iowa writer's workshop, etc. This is a man who takes the craft of writing seriously. He just so happens to practice this craft in the Fantasy genre! Thanks for watching and commenting. I'm looking forward to getting further in the series and watching Erikson progress as a writer.
@@ADudeWhoReads you're probably already aware of it, but I can't recommend A Critical Dragon's channel more, especially his conversations with Philip Chase about Malazan. And his prologue analysis videos have taught me so much about how much craft and care actually goes into writing. Part of what makes Malazan "challenging" is Erikson utilizes a lot of short-story techniques and in those video's AP really breaks down how much meaning can get packed into a few words if you read them closely. Those videos really changed me as a reader and made me appreciate what writers do even more. Loved your video, excited to watch more! For the last few years, I've pretty much exclusively read fantasy, but your channel is one of a few others inspiring me to read a little more broadly. So, thanks!
I watch a lot of Philip’s content, but I confess I don’t think I’ve watched A Critical Dragon. I will need to rectify that. Thank you for the recommendation. Also, it’s wonderful to hear that watching this channel is encouraging you to read more broadly. There’s nothing wrong with reading Fantasy, but I’m a big believer in reading widely, even if it’s for the simple reason that there’s just so much greatness out there! Thanks again! 🙏
LOVED your video and your take on the book. I totally agree with 2 of your main criticisms of this book. The characters (except for Tattersail and Lorn) are less developed in this book. But that is only for this book. In book 2 you will love all the characters and they are all super well developed. Also from book 3 when you start to come back to known characters, the character development will carry on through the books and will flesh them out much better. Also while I won't call the ending of this book rushed, there are some plot points which are not resolved very well and a few of them may seem a bit unsatisfactory. But that is again only for this book. From book 2 onwards every book has mind-blowing endings and wrap ups. In some later books you may not agree or like the ending of some arcs, but those will definitely not feel rushed. Also book 2 onwards there will be more philosophizing and increase with each book, as Erikson is more concerned with themes that he wants to express, than just plot. While the world building may be his best, his themes are even more brilliantly explored in later books. Just one advice. Take as much time as you need in reading each book, but try to keep the gap between books to a minimum, since the complexity and enormity will only keep increasing, and large gaps between books will make it difficult to remember everything. Lastly, can't wait for your reactions to book 2. It will be better if you can join a discord server in a Malazan readalong or just any Malazan channel, where you will be able to share your thoughts and listen to thoughts of others, which will increase the enjoyment much more.
@SouravUldyssian Hmm... not cool. Nothing in my dashboard as held for review, and nothing in my settings should be holding back any comments, either. No idea why your replies would be getting flagged by YT. Really sorry about that.
@@ADudeWhoReadstrying to recommend any channel or link, immediately after posting the comment, it gets deleted. Unless you update your bio with some alternate means of reaching you, there's no way to do that here.
The only thing I can think of is that because this is a new channel, UA-cam is more aggressive in deleting comments that include links? If you're so inclined, feel free to reach out to me at: adudewhoreads@gmail.com
I have not read this series, but may give it a try. My TBR list is already pretty long, though. I like your strategy of discussing the book as you go along.
Thank you. Especially with long books or series, I’ve always kept a reading journal to remind myself how I felt about a text as I went through it. This is just the on-camera version of that! If you do decide to pick this series up, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
By far one of the best GOTM reviews I’v seen on booktube. I blew through the 1st 3 books last summer and I’m still recovering. I haven’t built enough energy to move on to House of Chains. The series could have ended with Memories of Ice, and I’d be satisfied. MOI is currently my favorite fantasy novel and I have no idea how Erikson could top what feels like his magnum opus.
From what I've heard, many people agree with you that Memories of Ice is at least top two Erickson! As for how he tops it, I don't know, but the way I look at it, based solely on GotM, I'd rather read 2nd tier Erickson than 1st tier of 90%+ of other Fantasy authors! Thanks for the kind words and for the comment. Maybe by the time you get back on the Malazan train, I'll have caught up ;)
Very interesting video, thank you! I really appreciate your thoughfulness. I'm in the middle of 3 epic fantasy series at the moment and was looking to add another but couldn't decide between Mistborn and Malazan. I think you've convinced me Erikson is the way to go!
Having read Mistborn (era 1), I think you're making the right call. I like some of Sanderson's writing. Like I think he did a great job finishing the Wheel of Time, and I think the Way of Kings is an excellent fantasy novel. However, sometimes, I think he just gets a little lost in his own worlds and gets way too bogged down in some of the world building elements and magic systems, and it feels a little tedious. That's how I felt about Mistborn. That said, a lot of people LOVE Mistborn, so, to each their own!
There are around 1200 named characters in the series and they are being introduced constantly. So it does take a while for some to get fleshed out or attached to. Erickson's writing gets better as he adapts more to the series and you get used to it. Regarding complexity, some people get so wrapped up in taking notes of trying tonfigure out what is important it becomes homework. For possible turn offs, they books do have a lot of battle scenes and leans into military fantasy. Book six is dedicated to Glen Cook for example. Another later book is dedicated to Stephen Donaldson for some of Erickson's influences. There is also some sexual violence at various points but Erickson doesn't linger that GRRM tends to do. And people also dont like the skipping settings between books. The scale ofnthe overall story is massive and does eventuallu start to shrink. And dont skip the epigraphs which he stole from Herbert in Dune.
Thanks for the taking the time to break that down! I’m looking forward to seeing how the series evolves from here, and I have no doubt Erickson gets better given that even in this early novel he’s incredibly impressive as a writer. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yes, I regretted it too when I didn't start Malazan; instead, I started reading The Witcher, which made me disappointed, but I still loved the game. But I'm happy that I bought Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates. I could have bought Malazan earlier, and now I'm having a hard time finding Malazan in my country because it is out of stock and only one book store sells it here. Now, I'm in Book 4: Assassins, and I'm really enjoying it. Anyways, I loved your review and your thoughts about Malazan. Keep it up. You just earned a sub.👊
Thank you! Finding physical copies of Malazan is actually quite challenging here too (I’m in Canada). I borrowed Gardens of the Moon from the library, but they don’t have Deadhouse Gates. For the rest of the series, I’ll likely have to settle for the ebooks.
This has been on my radar for a long time, partly b/c the fantasy-oriented BookTubers I watch are known to bang on about it - Dr. Fantasy (the honorable professor P. Chase) being the principal banger, but I just haven't picked it up yet. It's on some shelf somewhere around here. I haven't deliberately avoided it, I just have too many other things I want to read first. I will definitely get to it though. Your video is encouraging. P.S. Lots of Malazan videos on Philip's channel if you want to hear what he and other people discussed when they did reviews and readalongs of the series. His channel is excellent @PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy
Thanks, so much. I love Philip's channel, and it wouldn't be exaggerating to say he was one of the main motivators for me picking up the series. I'm very cautious watching Malazan content because with such a popular series it's very easy to get things spoiled. This time around I watched/read nothing prior to finishing the book, and then after I finished (and after I had recorded my own thoughts), I watched a bunch of things on Gardens of the Moon so that my initial reactions wouldn't be influenced.
@@ADudeWhoReads He is definitely all the knees of all the bees. Are you planning to read his trilogy? I have the first 2 but haven't read either one yet. They are in the bedroon though, so clearly high priority as you know my system LOL
@@OhioEddieBlack actually just discovered the brothers Gwynne because of a post Philip made this week! I follow a bunch of booktubers, but gotta say my favourite is Merphy Napier. Her enthusiasm is infectious.
@@OhioEddieBlack the Edan trilogy is on my list but might take a while for me to get to it. I’ve heard great things though and I’m super happy for Philip that he seems to be having great success with it.
For optimum experience, treat each chapter/section as a short story. That's how Erikson wrote the books. The last half of a book is almost always where the action happens. Philosophy and comedy will start in Deadhouse Gates, moving forward. It will start grim but the endings are bomb. And oh, just subbed. :)
Thanks for the advice! I can definitely see wanting to keep books fresh before starting the next one (that's also a big part of the reason I decided to record a reading vlog). Now, I've moved Deadhouse Gates up on my to-read list!
I'm on book 3. I am enjoying it a lot so far. I will only say that book 3 returns to the post-Gardens of the Moon cast and setting, and addresses some of the more confusing things about book 1.
I won’t say too much besides that I feel when all is said and done you will be very satisfied with eriksons character work. Won’t explain how or why besides that it will come
Thanks for the comment and for being careful not to spoil anything for me! Also, I think I might have overstated my issues with the character work in the video. If anything, I appreciate how Erikson's characters have complex motivations and don't necessarily fall into easy to define archetypes. My few gripes, I'm sure, can easily be resolved with a few thousand more pages of space :)
From what I've seen so far, you're in good company! And based on my recent experience, I might be falling down the rabbit hole... Thanks for watching, super-super-fan :)
This “complex” thing is coming from the following: most of the fantasy is written by the same structure and same tropes and such. This is not. And you are right. It’s not that complicated if you make a mindset change like you did and let it flow. And yes, this is the weakest book. It will be even better (in prose and structure too). It’s written in short story format. So that’s also there. (No matter if it’s a novel.) And you captured it!!! It’s about history! “Witness!!!” - you will understand later. You are right with character criticism, gets better and not the same time. Writes better and also it’s not about a “main character” POV but will be more focused.
Thanks for the comment and for confirming so many of my thoughts. I’m looking forward to continuing with this series and seeing how it (and Erikson’s writing) evolves. It’s great hearing from folks like you who have already been through it, which just makes me all the more eager to progress!
@@ADudeWhoReads My pleasure. I don’t watch booktube or booktok but I appreciate the fact you are *NOT* an elitist snob who just wants to gate keep who can consider themselves a *reader* (and who cannot). I’m constantly on the lookout for new books and I think your channel will be perfect for me. 🤘.
@GreatGreebo if I ever come off sounding like an elitist I give you permission to find me and slap some sense into me! Look forward to having you along for the ride!
@@ADudeWhoReads DEAL!….though you appear to be a fellow Gen-Xer and we tend to be pretty mellow on the gate keeping front (in my experience). I’ll be sure to mention you in my next live. I am very small BUT It might help get you a couple more subs 🩵(I do daily short vlogs and have a great group who have similar interests to mine). I’m all about supporting non-snobby book channels!..
Erickson explains thing he just doesn’t do it a lot at once otherwise I would have no idea about anything from start to finish. He just works it in really naturally over time in lots of small character scenes where you slowly build up information over the course of the series and up you have to connect it altogether yourself
@@danielgwynne7266 I agree! I never meant to imply that Erikson doesn't explain anything. All I meant was that he doesn't spoon-feed the reader the way that some other popular Fantasy writers tend to do, which I appreciate. Thanks for the comment!
@@ADudeWhoReads I just wanna say that the main botf series focuses on 3 main continents with occasional visits to another 2 while the notme series really explore those 2 we occasionally visit and 1 more during the period of the events of botf then there is the pta series which explores the origins initial developments of the malazan empire and then the kharkanas trilogy which explores the origins of the tiste andii and stuff during the era of the city of kharkanas which was long ago. The witness trilogy is the sequel series of malazan which I can not say without spoilers what it focuses on but it occurs 10 years after the crippled god. There are also short stories which focus on the characters of korboral broach and bauchelain who you will meet in book 3 that are set before and after the events of that book and are just a lot of fun.
@@danielgwynne7266 I don't think I realized how many Malazan series there were until I read your comment. In my head there were only three series: Book of the Fallen, Kharkanas, and everything written by Ian C. Esselmont as one series. I didn't realize Esselmont's work was split into Novels of the Malazan Empire and Path to Ascendancy, and then I didn't even realize there WAS a Witness trilogy by Erikson. I am very much a newbie to this universe, but I'm looking forward to diving much, much deeper :)
Have you tried Malazan? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, what's holding you back?
I'm on book 9. Started my Malazan journey late April this year.
Read it 10 years ago. Welcome to the fandom.
Great vlog for a great series. Im a Malazan superfan with 4 full read throughs and you hit the nail on the head when you said its awesome to be trusted by the author. To me its one of the best things about Erikson, beyond the amazing story and world etc... Having the author trust that you are smart enough to keep up is actually rare and deeply appreciated by me at least. Cant wait to see the rest of your journey if you keep on going.
4 full read throughs!? Wow! Looking forward to getting further into a series that is capable of creating this level of fan devotion! Thanks so much for the comment, and look forward to discussing further.
Bruh imagine how many other awesome books you could've read with all that time re-reading this lol
I really enjoyed this video
I've read book of the Fallen and Novels of the Malazan empire
I read the books at the same pace you described beginning in January 2021
Every other book I read is now a Malazan book until I'm completely caught up with the series
I've started Forge of Darkness
Looking forward to the rest of your Malazan videos
Again, thanks for watching and commenting, James (I think I'm replying to your comments out of order). I think the reading pace you describe is the ideal pace for reading this series. It's too deep a series to binge without getting burned out on, but if you read it too slowly, you'll lose momentum and probably the feel for the story. I'm looking forward to catching up to you, but for now, I'm just enjoying the journey!
This is the only one of the Malazan books I've read so far and I was also impressed with Malazan's world-I loved the feeling that a vast clockwork far too old and intricate for me to even begin to comprehend was churning behind the scenes, and all I saw was a small sliver of the hands it set in motion. At the same time, I completely agree with your points about shoehorned character establishment/development... I didn't feel the connections I would have liked to with the characters and that's the primary way I like to engage with stories, learning about and growing to understand people.
However I'm heartened to know the series only improves in later entries and I'm excited to sink into Deadhouse Gates, just as soon as I finish reading the last entry in Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, and then maybe a quick foray into another genre so I'm not glutting myself too much on gargantuan fantasy series haha maybe I'll finally read The Dispossessed by Le Guin!
Sounds like we’re very much on the same page! Given our similar tastes, how long did it take you to get into Hobb? Did it take a few books or were you hooked from the very beginning? I’ve only read Assassin’s Apprentice, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the prose, I didn’t connect with the characters or the plot… Enjoy Le Guin. Everything I’ve read by her I’ve enjoyed. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@ADudeWhoReads Hobb's plots in particular seem to be a sticking point for many, and I think it's completely understandable; if the books are anything they're an incredibly slow burn. For my part I did find myself connecting with the characters, even more so in Royal Assassin, the book following Assassin's Apprentice, and that connection is what keeps me revisiting Hobb. The prose which you mentioned is a big part of that, too; her books are very experiential and intimate reads for me. While I think the series has only gotten better with each entry, Royal Assassin isn't particularly different than Assassin's Apprentice-it may well be that it's just a point where our tastes diverge, and if so no big :)
I haven't gotten to them yet, but I hear her Liveship Traders Trilogy is highly lauded even by those who didn't enjoy her first three books as much, and that they can be read as a standalone-could always give those a try, if you're ever short on things to read (as rare as that is for any lover of reading).
And yes I quite like Le Guin, her ideas, especially in her science fiction, feel so freeform and liberated and yet are expressed with a concise clarity that's a joy to read. One of my favorite authors.
Thanks for the response and excited to see where your channel goes from here!
@@richardanderson8107 I may be forcing it because so many people whose tastes seem to align with me love Hobb. I think I might switch over to the Liveship trilogy and if that lands for me, then I'll come back to Fitz.
As for Le Guin, what I like about her writing is that she weaves a great story around what is essentially a complex conversation around difficult ideas. The Lefthand of Darkness is one of the most nuanced discussions of gender that I've ever read and it's wrapped in an enjoyable story!
Thanks again for your thoughtful comments!
I fell in love right away just from the opening paragraph describing a rusty old weather vane swinging in the wind just above a city on fire. The writing was so beautiful and made such a strong first impression, I knew I'd be in good hands for 10 books. And the writing just gets better and better and better, topping out in book 6 maybe, by my estimation, and just stays at that incredibly high quality through the end. Never seen a writer analyze themes more deeply, with such poignant, thoughtful ideas behind everything, while also being fearless. Some fantasy writers seem to pull their punches because maybe they've, conciously or unconsciously, bought into the idea that fantasy is escapism and shouldn't be deep or difficult. Erikson's starting point with his writing and premises is that fantasy is full-blown literature that deserves your full respect and attention. While also throwing in comedy and fireballs 😂
I couldn't agree more! In the video I said I couldn't believe this was his first novel, which was actually wrong. It was his second novel, and he'd written a few novellas as well. STILL, it's impressive! At the same time, it's not all that surprising. When you hear fans and readers talk about Erikson's writing, they often praise his complex and intricate worlds, and allude to his background creating roleplaying games. When you hear ERIKSON talk about his writing, he talks a lot about his training as a writer, the Iowa writer's workshop, etc. This is a man who takes the craft of writing seriously. He just so happens to practice this craft in the Fantasy genre!
Thanks for watching and commenting. I'm looking forward to getting further in the series and watching Erikson progress as a writer.
@@ADudeWhoReads you're probably already aware of it, but I can't recommend A Critical Dragon's channel more, especially his conversations with Philip Chase about Malazan. And his prologue analysis videos have taught me so much about how much craft and care actually goes into writing. Part of what makes Malazan "challenging" is Erikson utilizes a lot of short-story techniques and in those video's AP really breaks down how much meaning can get packed into a few words if you read them closely. Those videos really changed me as a reader and made me appreciate what writers do even more. Loved your video, excited to watch more! For the last few years, I've pretty much exclusively read fantasy, but your channel is one of a few others inspiring me to read a little more broadly. So, thanks!
I watch a lot of Philip’s content, but I confess I don’t think I’ve watched A Critical Dragon. I will need to rectify that. Thank you for the recommendation.
Also, it’s wonderful to hear that watching this channel is encouraging you to read more broadly. There’s nothing wrong with reading Fantasy, but I’m a big believer in reading widely, even if it’s for the simple reason that there’s just so much greatness out there!
Thanks again! 🙏
LOVED your video and your take on the book. I totally agree with 2 of your main criticisms of this book. The characters (except for Tattersail and Lorn) are less developed in this book. But that is only for this book. In book 2 you will love all the characters and they are all super well developed. Also from book 3 when you start to come back to known characters, the character development will carry on through the books and will flesh them out much better.
Also while I won't call the ending of this book rushed, there are some plot points which are not resolved very well and a few of them may seem a bit unsatisfactory. But that is again only for this book. From book 2 onwards every book has mind-blowing endings and wrap ups. In some later books you may not agree or like the ending of some arcs, but those will definitely not feel rushed.
Also book 2 onwards there will be more philosophizing and increase with each book, as Erikson is more concerned with themes that he wants to express, than just plot. While the world building may be his best, his themes are even more brilliantly explored in later books.
Just one advice. Take as much time as you need in reading each book, but try to keep the gap between books to a minimum, since the complexity and enormity will only keep increasing, and large gaps between books will make it difficult to remember everything.
Lastly, can't wait for your reactions to book 2. It will be better if you can join a discord server in a Malazan readalong or just any Malazan channel, where you will be able to share your thoughts and listen to thoughts of others, which will increase the enjoyment much more.
Thanks so much for the detailed comment and the thoughtful suggestions. Any suggestions for a specific Malazan discord to join?
@@ADudeWhoReadsYT keeps treating all replies to this as spam. Can you check your spam approval?
@SouravUldyssian Hmm... not cool. Nothing in my dashboard as held for review, and nothing in my settings should be holding back any comments, either. No idea why your replies would be getting flagged by YT. Really sorry about that.
@@ADudeWhoReadstrying to recommend any channel or link, immediately after posting the comment, it gets deleted. Unless you update your bio with some alternate means of reaching you, there's no way to do that here.
The only thing I can think of is that because this is a new channel, UA-cam is more aggressive in deleting comments that include links? If you're so inclined, feel free to reach out to me at: adudewhoreads@gmail.com
I have not read this series, but may give it a try. My TBR list is already pretty long, though. I like your strategy of discussing the book as you go along.
Thank you. Especially with long books or series, I’ve always kept a reading journal to remind myself how I felt about a text as I went through it. This is just the on-camera version of that! If you do decide to pick this series up, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
By far one of the best GOTM reviews I’v seen on booktube. I blew through the 1st 3 books last summer and I’m still recovering. I haven’t built enough energy to move on to House of Chains. The series could have ended with Memories of Ice, and I’d be satisfied. MOI is currently my favorite fantasy novel and I have no idea how Erikson could top what feels like his magnum opus.
From what I've heard, many people agree with you that Memories of Ice is at least top two Erickson! As for how he tops it, I don't know, but the way I look at it, based solely on GotM, I'd rather read 2nd tier Erickson than 1st tier of 90%+ of other Fantasy authors! Thanks for the kind words and for the comment. Maybe by the time you get back on the Malazan train, I'll have caught up ;)
Very interesting video, thank you! I really appreciate your thoughfulness. I'm in the middle of 3 epic fantasy series at the moment and was looking to add another but couldn't decide between Mistborn and Malazan. I think you've convinced me Erikson is the way to go!
Having read Mistborn (era 1), I think you're making the right call. I like some of Sanderson's writing. Like I think he did a great job finishing the Wheel of Time, and I think the Way of Kings is an excellent fantasy novel. However, sometimes, I think he just gets a little lost in his own worlds and gets way too bogged down in some of the world building elements and magic systems, and it feels a little tedious. That's how I felt about Mistborn. That said, a lot of people LOVE Mistborn, so, to each their own!
Yeehaw!!! These books are life changing!!!
Hah. Thanks!
There are around 1200 named characters in the series and they are being introduced constantly. So it does take a while for some to get fleshed out or attached to.
Erickson's writing gets better as he adapts more to the series and you get used to it.
Regarding complexity, some people get so wrapped up in taking notes of trying tonfigure out what is important it becomes homework.
For possible turn offs, they books do have a lot of battle scenes and leans into military fantasy. Book six is dedicated to Glen Cook for example. Another later book is dedicated to Stephen Donaldson for some of Erickson's influences.
There is also some sexual violence at various points but
Erickson doesn't linger that GRRM tends to do.
And people also dont like the skipping settings between books. The scale ofnthe overall story is massive and does eventuallu start to shrink.
And dont skip the epigraphs which he stole from Herbert in Dune.
Thanks for the taking the time to break that down! I’m looking forward to seeing how the series evolves from here, and I have no doubt Erickson gets better given that even in this early novel he’s incredibly impressive as a writer. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yes, I regretted it too when I didn't start Malazan; instead, I started reading The Witcher, which made me disappointed, but I still loved the game. But I'm happy that I bought Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates. I could have bought Malazan earlier, and now I'm having a hard time finding Malazan in my country because it is out of stock and only one book store sells it here. Now, I'm in Book 4: Assassins, and I'm really enjoying it. Anyways, I loved your review and your thoughts about Malazan. Keep it up. You just earned a sub.👊
Thank you! Finding physical copies of Malazan is actually quite challenging here too (I’m in Canada). I borrowed Gardens of the Moon from the library, but they don’t have Deadhouse Gates. For the rest of the series, I’ll likely have to settle for the ebooks.
This has been on my radar for a long time, partly b/c the fantasy-oriented BookTubers I watch are known to bang on about it - Dr. Fantasy (the honorable professor P. Chase) being the principal banger, but I just haven't picked it up yet. It's on some shelf somewhere around here. I haven't deliberately avoided it, I just have too many other things I want to read first. I will definitely get to it though. Your video is encouraging. P.S. Lots of Malazan videos on Philip's channel if you want to hear what he and other people discussed when they did reviews and readalongs of the series. His channel is excellent @PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy
Thanks, so much. I love Philip's channel, and it wouldn't be exaggerating to say he was one of the main motivators for me picking up the series. I'm very cautious watching Malazan content because with such a popular series it's very easy to get things spoiled. This time around I watched/read nothing prior to finishing the book, and then after I finished (and after I had recorded my own thoughts), I watched a bunch of things on Gardens of the Moon so that my initial reactions wouldn't be influenced.
@@ADudeWhoReads He is definitely all the knees of all the bees. Are you planning to read his trilogy? I have the first 2 but haven't read either one yet. They are in the bedroon though, so clearly high priority as you know my system LOL
Glad you are already a P. Chase admirer. My most favorite BookTube channel hands down is The Brothers Gwynne - are you familiar? who is your favorite?
@@OhioEddieBlack actually just discovered the brothers Gwynne because of a post Philip made this week! I follow a bunch of booktubers, but gotta say my favourite is Merphy Napier. Her enthusiasm is infectious.
@@OhioEddieBlack the Edan trilogy is on my list but might take a while for me to get to it. I’ve heard great things though and I’m super happy for Philip that he seems to be having great success with it.
For optimum experience, treat each chapter/section as a short story. That's how Erikson wrote the books. The last half of a book is almost always where the action happens.
Philosophy and comedy will start in Deadhouse Gates, moving forward. It will start grim but the endings are bomb.
And oh, just subbed. :)
Great advice D!
Thanks for the advice! I can definitely see wanting to keep books fresh before starting the next one (that's also a big part of the reason I decided to record a reading vlog). Now, I've moved Deadhouse Gates up on my to-read list!
I'm on book 3. I am enjoying it a lot so far. I will only say that book 3 returns to the post-Gardens of the Moon cast and setting, and addresses some of the more confusing things about book 1.
So I’ve heard! Ive also heard book 3 is arguably one of the best in the series. I’m looking forward to getting there. Thanks for watching!
I won’t say too much besides that I feel when all is said and done you will be very satisfied with eriksons character work. Won’t explain how or why besides that it will come
Thanks for the comment and for being careful not to spoil anything for me! Also, I think I might have overstated my issues with the character work in the video. If anything, I appreciate how Erikson's characters have complex motivations and don't necessarily fall into easy to define archetypes. My few gripes, I'm sure, can easily be resolved with a few thousand more pages of space :)
Im a Malazan superfan . super , super fan
From what I've seen so far, you're in good company! And based on my recent experience, I might be falling down the rabbit hole... Thanks for watching, super-super-fan :)
@@ADudeWhoReads
This “complex” thing is coming from the following: most of the fantasy is written by the same structure and same tropes and such. This is not. And you are right. It’s not that complicated if you make a mindset change like you did and let it flow. And yes, this is the weakest book. It will be even better (in prose and structure too). It’s written in short story format. So that’s also there. (No matter if it’s a novel.) And you captured it!!! It’s about history! “Witness!!!” - you will understand later. You are right with character criticism, gets better and not the same time. Writes better and also it’s not about a “main character” POV but will be more focused.
Thanks for the comment and for confirming so many of my thoughts. I’m looking forward to continuing with this series and seeing how it (and Erikson’s writing) evolves. It’s great hearing from folks like you who have already been through it, which just makes me all the more eager to progress!
Lol. Adulting 101. Love the review.
Thanks 😄
Great vlog…I like this style of vlog.thank you. I’m subscriber #167. Cheers (I can’t see my original comment so re-posting😃)
And I thank you for subscribing! 😀
@@ADudeWhoReads My pleasure. I don’t watch booktube or booktok but I appreciate the fact you are *NOT* an elitist snob who just wants to gate keep who can consider themselves a *reader* (and who cannot). I’m constantly on the lookout for new books and I think your channel will be perfect for me. 🤘.
@GreatGreebo if I ever come off sounding like an elitist I give you permission to find me and slap some sense into me! Look forward to having you along for the ride!
@@ADudeWhoReads DEAL!….though you appear to be a fellow Gen-Xer and we tend to be pretty mellow on the gate keeping front (in my experience). I’ll be sure to mention you in my next live. I am very small BUT It might help get you a couple more subs 🩵(I do daily short vlogs and have a great group who have similar interests to mine). I’m all about supporting non-snobby book channels!..
@GreatGreebo cool! I’ll be sure to check out your channel!
Explaing things to the readers is not treating them as children, is just an style of writing, explaing the message in a literally way is.
Sorry. Not sure I understand.
Erickson explains thing he just doesn’t do it a lot at once otherwise I would have no idea about anything from start to finish. He just works it in really naturally over time in lots of small character scenes where you slowly build up information over the course of the series and up you have to connect it altogether yourself
@@danielgwynne7266 I agree! I never meant to imply that Erikson doesn't explain anything. All I meant was that he doesn't spoon-feed the reader the way that some other popular Fantasy writers tend to do, which I appreciate. Thanks for the comment!
@@ADudeWhoReads I just wanna say that the main botf series focuses on 3 main continents with occasional visits to another 2 while the notme series really explore those 2 we occasionally visit and 1 more during the period of the events of botf then there is the pta series which explores the origins initial developments of the malazan empire and then the kharkanas trilogy which explores the origins of the tiste andii and stuff during the era of the city of kharkanas which was long ago. The witness trilogy is the sequel series of malazan which I can not say without spoilers what it focuses on but it occurs 10 years after the crippled god. There are also short stories which focus on the characters of korboral broach and bauchelain who you will meet in book 3 that are set before and after the events of that book and are just a lot of fun.
@@danielgwynne7266 I don't think I realized how many Malazan series there were until I read your comment. In my head there were only three series: Book of the Fallen, Kharkanas, and everything written by Ian C. Esselmont as one series. I didn't realize Esselmont's work was split into Novels of the Malazan Empire and Path to Ascendancy, and then I didn't even realize there WAS a Witness trilogy by Erikson. I am very much a newbie to this universe, but I'm looking forward to diving much, much deeper :)