Malazan Book Of The Fallen

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wormie said:
I quit the Esselmont books after The Crimson Guard. His writing sucks donkey dick.
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It really does.

Night of Knives is not awful, but's that's only because it's so short.

Deathwing said:
Originally, I was like fuck the Crippled God, he got Whiskeyjack killed. By the end of the series, I was confused what I was supposed to feel. Resurrected Crippled God and Antagonist Crippled God were almost two separate characters.

The Assail are just plot devices, change my mind.
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I'm rusty, but
doesn't Whiskeyjack neglect to get his leg healed? It's all good and fated, though...doesn't he get a spot in House Hood?
 
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Deathwing

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The entirety of the Bridgeburners get a spot in House Hood, not just Whiskeyjack. He's just a convenient spokesperson.

And, yes, it was a long chain of events that Whiskeyjack could have easily prevented. The last event was dueling Kallor, who was in league with the Crippled God at the time. So the book plays on you emotionally that it was the Crippled God that killed Whiskeyjack even though that logically doesn't make sense.

Perhaps a bad example, but there many more where the series paints the Crippled God as the antagonist in first few books. It certainly didn't feel that way towards the end. That was probably Erikson's intent, but I'm not sure he got the reader to the same point in time.
 
wormie

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I thought the transition from having the Crippled God be the bad guy to not so much was very jarring and not done well at all.
 
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Deathwing

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Well, nobody liked the Snake, not sure how you forgot that.

My memory on the other three are not as good. The K'Chain Che'Malle felt like plot devices, there to balance out the short tails. Neither of which felt like they were organically part of the story. These two elder races that most ascendants thought were extinct? Yeah, they're both still around, one's working with the Chained God, and they both still have a numerous sky keeps!

Barghast, I think could have been better if the story organically included Olar Ethil. FWIW, I like the Barghast chapters a bit more because of Draconis' entry amidst a battle. Perfectly accentuated the nihilism the battle already represented.

Forkruul have never been fleshed out well.
 
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A

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Yeah I remembered the Snake but just didn't remember it being quite that bad. I am just flipping pages on the rest.

Oh yeah the grey swords also so far is super weak but I think like the Barghast they eventually become worth reading.
 
Aazrael

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About to finish my second go on the main series (Audible). Listened to all the Esslemonts as well. The only ones I've yet to buy are the Kharkanas ones, they worth buying? Saw he took a break on this trilogy due to lower sales.
 
Kalaar kururuc

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Aazrael said:
About to finish my second go on the main series (Audible). Listened to all the Esslemonts as well. The only ones I've yet to buy are the Kharkanas ones, they worth buying? Saw he took a break on this trilogy due to lower sales.
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The first book isn't awful, but in hindsight its circling the drain that is book 2. Steven has always been wordy but the Karkanas books are borderline unreadable drivel.
 
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Ritley

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Kalaar kururuc said:
The first book isn't awful, but in hindsight its circling the drain that is book 2. Steven has always been wordy but the Karkanas books are borderline unreadable drivel.
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I think I made it part way through the second book. I remember it being extremely boring and eventually just couldn’t muster the motivation to keep reading it.

Hoping whenever he gets around to the Karsa books that they are substantially better
 
Aazrael

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Any recommendations on books like the Malazan series? I really enjoyed the fact that there wasn't one special kid that saved everyone but that it was more about the everyday people/soldiers getting caught up in shit/convergence with some super powerful guys sprinkled in.
 
wormie

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Aazrael said:
Any recommendations on books like the Malazan series? I really enjoyed the fact that there wasn't one special kid that saved everyone but that it was more about the everyday people/soldiers getting caught up in shit/convergence with some super powerful guys sprinkled in.
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The Black Company - Wikipedia

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Grim1

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Love this series. Favorite fantasy series by far.

Thick read though. Going to start them up again, will take a couple of years.
 
Intrinsic

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Since SubPress just delivered the final version of their set to me a couple of weeks ago, I’ve wanted to start a reread also. Can’t use those as they’re in storage and they’re too nice to be everyday readers. May just Kindle them. What I’d really like to do is some sort of “annotated” reread of the Fallen and take my own notes and references rather than just going through the wikis. That’d probably take the rest of my known life.
 
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Hateyou

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Intrinsic said:
Since SubPress just delivered the final version of their set to me a couple of weeks ago, I’ve wanted to start a reread also. Can’t use those as they’re in storage and they’re too nice to be everyday readers. May just Kindle them. What I’d really like to do is some sort of “annotated” reread of the Fallen and take my own notes and references rather than just going through the wikis. That’d probably take the rest of my known life.
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I just looked these up and saw they are $125-$175 per book. Am I looking at the wrong thing or did you actually spend like $1500 on this series?
 
Intrinsic

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Hateyou said:
I just looked these up and saw they are $125-$175 per book. Am I looking at the wrong thing or did you actually spend like $1500 on this series?
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I did, the numbered were that price and the lettered were like $500 a piece. Keep in mind though I’ve been getting them since they did the Gardens of the Moon release so like 2007? So over 14 years one book every year and a half or so. All the same number.
 
Hateyou

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Intrinsic said:
I did, the numbered were that price and the lettered were like $500 a piece. Keep in mind though I’ve been getting them since they did the Gardens of the Moon release so like 2007? So over 14 years one book every year and a half or so. All the same number.
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How do you get the same number? Once you buy the first that number is yours for each print?

Not knocking you for doing it, everyone has their expensive hobby. I’m sure they’re awesome, books just aren’t something I’d spend big money on personally.
 
Intrinsic

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Hateyou said:
How do you get the same number? Once you buy the first that number is yours for each print?

Not knocking you for doing it, everyone has their expensive hobby. I’m sure they’re awesome, books just aren’t something I’d spend big money on personally.
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Yeah, once I had the first one it locked in the same number for the rest as long as I responded during the pre-order. It is all relative and I don’t use them as readers, just display. I also have their version of a few Sanderson books. Missed the run of the Dresden Files or would have probably done that. Unfortunately they’re all packed up and in storage for the new house move.
 
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