House of Chains: Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 4

A giant barbarian, arrogant in his abilities, begins a journey of bloody rampage. He wishes to relive his grandfather's epic journey and show the strength of his people. He's about to learn that history isn't what he thinks.In the Holy Desert, Felisin Paran has been reborn as the apocalyptic Shrike, an avatar for a vengeful goddess. To gain her own revenge on the sister that sold her into slavery, she surrenders everything she has. Around her are a host of men plotting how to use her power for their own benefit while the desert tribesmen ache to unleash the fury of her power on the Malazan EmpireCrokus has lost his innocence. No longer a youth, he's now an assassin called Cutter. To keep walking beside Apsalar's side, he forces himself to become what she is. But is that what she wants from him? Has he stepped onto a path that will change everything for him.Fiddler, re-enlisted in the Malazan army, lands with the newly formed 6th army under the command of Tavore Paran. With him is a group of veterans and new recruits who will have to march into the desert and battle the Army of the Apocaylpse and avenge Coltaine and his massacre outside the walls of Aren. However, the new army's start is beset with dire omens. How will they fare in the desert?Will they meet Coltaine's fate?In the Holy Desert, gods, ascendants, and mortals are thrown together in a clash that will change everything as the Chained God makes his bid to seize power. So many storyline are woven together in this book. Storylines criss and cross. Erickson weaves them all into a vast tapestry built on the foundation of the weight of history.If you've been reading Malazn Book of the Fallen, then you know what you're in for. Many of your favorite characters are back for the next chapter in the bloody history of the Malazan Empire. Everyone has their own agendas. Their own tales that mix together to form this outstanding book. It's riveting to read, drawing you on the final showdown between two sisters.Felisin wants revenge on her sister Tavore never knowing that Tavore's plan to protect her went so wrong in Book Two. Now they are dragged by the chains of fate to fight each other. Only one shall survive in this tragic tale.

The fourth book of this ten book series was to me the most disappointing one. I didn’t understand the first half of the book. Later on, familiar characters come back, like Cotillion, Kalam, Fiddler, Apsalar, and new characters were introduced too, which is really not necessary, but they were added anyways. This is without a doubt my least favorite book in the series, it was a disaster! I seriously contemplated abandoning the whole series. Evidently, I didn’t stop reading the series because as I write this review, I am half way in Book 6. I have seen some reviewers give this book five stars which is shocking! It was miserable! I found the book difficult to understand! I didn’t care for any of the new characters at all.In conclusion, I give this book 1 star! It is the most disappointing book in the series in my book! It was so terrible I almost quit continuing the series!

Where to start on a review for this book/series? I mean with something on the epic scale and imagination as this story, characters, and world building. The Mythology of the world alone is on such a epic scale. So much to comprehend.All I have been hearing since I started reading Fantasy again in 2011 is “you have to read Malazan!” So I finally listened and started. I think I have a new obsession. I can now see what everyone has been going on and on about for all this time. I am hooked and I now need more! So yes I will be continuing this series, and I can’t wait! I know more greatness awaits and I am highly anticipating the journey to come.Overall a great read. I was entertained, I loved the epic sprawling world created here, and I want to go right into the next book and get more from this series. This might not be for everyone but after starting this series, I know it is for me. A magnificent read. The only thing I can think to describe it is a mind blowing. Everything is just so rich and complex, and such a joy to wrap your mind around.I loved the first three books, and this one is great as well. I keep thinking the change of locations, story lines, and characters are gong to lessen these books, but they never do. Such fantastic and intriguing characters. That reminds me of a question I always seem to get asked when I post these reviews. Who are your favorite characters from this book? So a new section in my Malazan reviews. FAVORITE CHARACTERS FROM THIS BOOK: This book to me is all Karsa Orlong! And I am good with that. An awesome character! A new Sword and Sorcery hero. You all now how much that appeals to me. Can we get some books all about Karsa! They would be new S&S classics. Lead me war leader!I am addicted now! So much so I want to start collecting these marvelous books. Trying to find hardcovers is impossible it seems (for a good price anyhow) if anyone has some idea’s for a broke a** like myself, let me know.As you know if you have read my reviews before I am not about long reviews with synopsis and spoilers. I just give my opinion on my experience with this book and you can take it from there. Now on to the next book.5/5 Stars! - Mighty Thor JRS

Steven Erikson plunges the reader into an immersive, expansive and mysterious world that is virtually devoid of fantasy cliche and full of memorable characters, exciting action, complex plotting and glimpses of humour.His writing is vivid and compelling, never overtly moralistic, and leaves the reader satisfied and with a distinct impression that there was much more going on than the author chose to reveal.Erikson rarely explains things directly, leaving the reader to put it all together for him- or herself. The Malazan Empire and surrounding continents are realised with originality and unsurpassed complexity, which really bring the places, civilisations and people to life in the mind’s eye.With not an Elf or an Orc to be seen (at least, Erikson would never explicitly call them by those names), this is a fantasy writer deserving of much wider acclaim. The whole series of novels is inspired and (literally) fantastic, but this particular book stands out: Karsa Orlong stands head and shoulders above Conan!

Book 4 of the Malazan book of the Fallen and it is yet another corker. I am running out of superlatives to describe this series: more new characters, more history, more gods, more heroes and villains and each character a real, independently developed individual.Each strand exists separately and yet I know there is a grand construction being pulled together here, with as many new strands emerging as there are strands coming together to form the fabric of the series.Details, descriptions, emotions: all are present in a novel you'd expect to be studied in an A Level class rather than a standard fantasy - heavy on action, light on literature. These tales are a pleasure to read and once more I highly recommend this book even as I race onto the next!fleecy mossAuthor of the sci-fi fantasy series Folio 55, Books 1 & 2 (End of a Girl, Undon), available now on Amazon.

It is astonishing how every book in this series seems to get better than the one before. The sheer size of the cast is phenomenal however it seems like each character has an important role to play in the grand scheme of things and there are no 'bit-part' players. New characters such as Karsa Orlong, L'oric and Trull Sengar become favourites straight away and that is down to Erikson's skill as a writer. I will admit that I go a bit sentimental when we find out what characters such as Quick Ben, Kalam and Fiddler are up to when reading.. To the extent where it transpires that Strings is Fiddler I actually did a mini fist bump and silent wooop to myself lol. In the first few books the world Erikson was describing was so vast and complicated it was sometimes confusing and I had to read certain sections more than once. Yet, now that we are revisiting some of these places again it adds to the overall creation and heightening of the picture that Erikson is trying to paint for us. The book takes place after the events of Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice. A lot of the story is almost the opposite of the path Coltaine walked on the Chain of Dogs. As previous books in the series I love finding out about the God's motives and as a previous reviewer stated - these sections are 'Homeric' when the God's converse with humans/mortals. I am interested to find out more about Cotillion. This book made him seem more human and emotional than we were given witness to before and that intrigues me. I won't delve too much about the plot. I will say that I am looking to start reading Midnight Tides straight away as I can't wait to be thrown headfirst back in to Erikson's world. Peace. James x [...]

In the aftermath of the chain of dogs, adjunct Tavore, sister of Felisin arrives with an unblinded army to take seven cities back for the empire. Or so the idea went....The issue with the novel is, that the back would give you the idea that it was a showdown between Tavore and Felisin, whilst it really isn't. The first quarter of the book is a flashback, explaing the character and presence of Toblaki in Deadhouse gates. The rest is so concerned with various storylines that the promised showdown falls flat on its face. This only jars me because I was led to believe that this book was a "end to the first half" of the series, and I was hoping to take a break to let my wallet and my studies recover....sadly not so, I remain gripped as ever. And in truth, the climax was still excellent, just more a battle of assassins in which giant dogs, ghosts and a very angry Toblaki wander into the mix. There is little else in the book that I can openly criticise, the plot lines remain as strong as ever, and as always, erikson gives us copious amounts of philosophical musing, bizarre comedy and sheer randomness. As we have come to expect from him, not everything is answered, and thus we must keep reading until the bitter end. The next novel in the series is excellent, and I believe that the Bonehunters is currently residing in my postbox.

After the epic genius of Memories of Ice, we return to the rebellion-hit continent of Seven Cities. That is, after a bravura sequence that follows one apparently new character as he embarks on a violent, bloody quest.It's quite a departure for the series to follow one protagonist fo so long, although when we finally catch up to the main storyline, we realise that Erikson has pulled off the trick of giving an incidental character from the second book a full and rich backstory.It's also great to follow one old friend as he leads a brand new squad into yet another war; the new soldiers have the potential to become just as interesting as the Bridgeburners.As well as the Malazans, we follow their opponets in the Whirlwind's camp as they undergo their own travails and feuds. Events build to a climax that, as is typical with Erikson, is both tragic and confounds traditional expectations.If I have a criticism of the book, it is that the plot and developments seem slightly more stately in pace compared to the breakneck speed of the first three books. Still, when the overall quality of the writing is this good, that is a minor quibble.