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The Dark Wind posted:Apologies for flooding this thread with questions, but I don't wanna go on google and get all spoilered. Just finished Chain of Dogs. Holy gently caress Kulp and Baudin I can't remember it's been too long, but if you dont find out for certain in that book you do when a later book (#4?) gets back to Seven Cities. But I'm pretty sure you do. If you just cant wait it is Felisin and Heboric, you were meant to guess that it might be Apsalar and her father as well.
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Jul 7, 2012 17:02
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. Are the girl and guy that reach the Sha'ik corpse at the end Felisin and Heboric, or Apsalar and her dad? Judging by the "hands" comment, I was more inclined towards the former, but I'm not completely sure.
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Will I be alright reading Memories of Ice before Deadhouse? I've read Gardens of the Moon and decided to buy Memories and Deadhouse for a 14 hour flight tomorrow, but only Memories has arrived.
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Jul 8, 2012 20:08
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zzttaozia posted:Will I be alright reading Memories of Ice before Deadhouse? I've read Gardens of the Moon and decided to buy Memories and Deadhouse for a 14 hour flight tomorrow, but only Memories has arrived. Both DG and MoI happen around the same time chronologically, with almost totally different storylines and set on different continents. There's a few references to DG including some fates but it shouldn't be too spoilery. But: The epilogue/last few pages of MoI features a character who's in DG, although that character's fate is already implied. I recommend not reading that bit until you finish DG.
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Jul 8, 2012 21:12
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Alright, made it to the end of DG. What a story. Some final things that have been confusing me: Why was Shadowthrone so happy near the end? Wouldn't he have WANTED Empress Lasseen dead (even if Kalam couldn't kill her then)? Why was he rewarding everybody? Is there any reason explained in this book as to why Apt has "leverage"? What was Felisin/Sha'ik talking about when she said she had a daughter? Is she pregnant? What happened in the epilogue? Was that one of the warlocks being reborn again?
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Jul 10, 2012 06:32
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The Dark Wind posted:Alright, made it to the end of DG. What a story. Some final things that have been confusing me: Deadhouse Gates What Shadowthrone says and means and does are three completely different things. Which is what makes him such a fun character. Felisin adopted one of those orphans in the camp. You'll get back to them later. And that was Coltaine being reborn. Remember the legion of crows that went for him when he was crucified by Korbolo Dom and the rest?
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Jul 10, 2012 20:16
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Just got to Book 4 of Dust of Dreams. Is it just me or was Book 3 really tangential? Most of the characters in it get massacred when Draconus shows up and decides to display that his power level is over 9000. The Malazans don't do much of anything either. Another thing. Can anyone explain to me A) What happened to Icarium at the end of Reaper's Gale causing him to become a "ghost" (I forgot) and B) Who all the various characters with him (other than Feather Witch) in the K'Chain Che'Malle nest were? I found that part really confusing. MaterialConceptual fucked around with this message at 13:09 on Jul 11, 2012 |
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Jul 11, 2012 13:03
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There's all sorts of stuff going on in book 3 that's not obliterated when Draconus stops by. It flips around between characters as much as the other books in the earlier half but it does focus more on the barghast near the end. Things get really heavy there though, so I can understand why he didn't cut away. I'm still a bit fuzzy on the Icarium part myself, but here's the way I figure it. Remember that machine beneath Letheras? When he activated it, everyone who died in the ensuing chaos was essentially devoured in the ritual. (I don't know how feather witch got caught up in it, but she did die at the right time, and the Errant mentions his frustration at not being able to find her 'soul' so to speak) It also mentions that the machine was broken, which could help explain some things. The icarium stuff gets elaborated on shortly, but Icarium's last thought in RG is "If Krul can, why not me?" Which kinda spells out what he was up to.
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Jul 11, 2012 22:43
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I've been slogging through Reaper's Gale for the past month (All the other books so far I finished in around 2 weeks~ for each one) and I'm just past the halfway point and it FINALLY started picking up. All the political stuff and backstabbing is great and all, but Malazan invasion, hells yes
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Jul 12, 2012 05:43
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Minor news from Forge of Darkness: "a map of Kharkanas, one of Kurald Galain, as well as one of the Thel Akai, Jaghut, and Tiste Realms"
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Jul 13, 2012 06:39
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Abalieno posted:Minor news from Forge of Darkness: Maps of whole realms? Fuckin nice.
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Jul 13, 2012 06:53
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Finished the series last night. Eight months of reading anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours a night. Good ending, but I felt a bit disappointed at the conclusion of Mappo's story. For so much of an investment in the story, it was just a bit anti-climactic.
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Jul 15, 2012 17:12
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I love his story, personally. He bargained away children to Olar Ethil just for information. Expecting anything good to happen to Mappo after that in this series is not really a thing one should do. Getting to Icarium only to be effortlessly killed by Calm is ultimately him meeting the end his actions bought for him, as heartbreaking as it is given how Mappo started the series off as one of the most genuinely good people we see in the series. But Erikson also isn't that spiteful to his characters, and Mappo does serve to spark a memory within Icarium, making his actual journey to him worthwhile. It was a really wonderful end to that arc to me.
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Jul 15, 2012 17:32
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Finished the series last week. Left me feeling a bit melancholy on my lovely island vacation, but the Korlat + Whiskeyjack 4E bit was a really adorable touch at the end of the last book. Fiddler owns.
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Jul 17, 2012 15:24
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Stew Man Chew posted:but the Korlat + Whiskeyjack 4E bit was a really adorable touch at the end of the last book That whole thing was a little weird. Their relationship begins suddenly and gets maybe 30 pages of air time and it's made out to be some sort of everlasting love. Whiskeyjack's entire character is kind of like that - we're supposed to take for granted that he's important and 'cool' even if he really never does much worth noting. It may have been a problem of expectations, since the jacket summary for GotM implies he's the main character. HeroOfTheRevolution fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Jul 17, 2012 |
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Jul 17, 2012 20:50
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HeroOfTheRevolution posted:That whole thing was a little weird. Their relationship begins suddenly and gets maybe 30 pages of air time and it's made out to be some sort of everlasting love. Whiskeyjack's entire character is kind of like that - we're supposed to take for granted that he's important and 'cool' even if he really never does much worth noting. It may have been a problem of expectations, since the jacket summary for GotM implies he's the main character. yeah, maybe it was my itch to have their relationship actually developed being scratched... as the series came to a close. Same thing with Crokus and Apsalar, it was just like "oh yeah I been looking for you oh good found you the end". Sorry I guess this whole thing could be in spoilers. Gunshow Poophole fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Jul 17, 2012 |
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Jul 17, 2012 21:36
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Yeah I was much more disappointed by that second couple, especially since they both developed and were awesome characters. also wish there had been some more on the short tails
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Jul 17, 2012 22:02
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Oh god the stuff being revealed about Forge of Darkness is turning everything I knew about the series upside down. I'm actually really reluctant to mention them here in case someone hovers over the wrong thing.
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Jul 18, 2012 18:07
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Illuyankas posted:Oh god the stuff being revealed about Forge of Darkness is turning everything I knew about the series upside down. I'm actually really reluctant to mention them here in case someone hovers over the wrong thing. At least link us to these reveals so we can spoil ourselves?
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Jul 18, 2012 18:25
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Masonity posted:At least link us to these reveals so we can spoil ourselves?
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Jul 18, 2012 18:51
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Illuyankas posted:Here, look out for posts a few pages in by pat5150 and Malaclypse in particular not all of which are spoiler boxed. Woah. I've gone from "I better read these, might find out a little more about Quick Ben given what he said to Mother Dark at the start of The Crippled God, but I'm not sold on the story. Give me Karsa damnit!" to "Will suck dick for preview copy!"
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Jul 18, 2012 20:57
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I took a little break to read some GRRM but now I'm back and working on Memories of Ice. Man the first 70 or so pages are incredibly confusing, and I feel like they are so extremely important too at the same time. I just have a question from back in Gardens of the Moon since I'm forgetting a small detail: How did Ganoes Paran end up in Dragnipur in the first place, when he helped free those Hounds? Also, how much am I supposed to trust Silverfox? I feel like she's laying down some really important and deep stuff, is everything she's saying accurate?
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Jul 19, 2012 08:56
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The Dark Wind posted:How did Ganoes Paran end up in Dragnipur in the first place, when he helped free those Hounds? Touching the blood pulled him in.
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Jul 19, 2012 09:33
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The Dark Wind posted:Also, how much am I supposed to trust Silverfox? I feel like she's laying down some really important and deep stuff, is everything she's saying accurate? Your concerns will be brought up in that book over and over (and over).
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Jul 19, 2012 10:35
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I'm honestly astounded with how good Reaper's Gale is getting towards the end. Just, the first half, so slow good god. But I'm really digging book 3/4
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Jul 20, 2012 06:36
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Yeah I read books. posted:I'm honestly astounded with how good Reaper's Gale is getting towards the end. Just, the first half, so slow good god. But I'm really digging book 3/4 Just wait until you get to Toll the Hounds. It basically doubles down on that pattern. EDIT: Although I think I enjoyed the slow part a lot more than most people do.
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Jul 20, 2012 13:29
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Masonity posted:Woah. drat straight, Though I'd still rather Karsa. His story needs finishing. Also the names on that forum are great, "Jean-Claude Van Tiam"...
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Jul 20, 2012 14:38
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Yeah I read books. posted:I'm honestly astounded with how good Reaper's Gale is getting towards the end. Just, the first half, so slow good god. But I'm really digging book 3/4 I really liked Midnight Tides, so Reapers Gale started out good, then as you say it just ramps up. I'm assuming by 3/4 of the way through the Malaz invasion has started, and things get balls out crazy.
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Jul 20, 2012 16:14
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After checking out the Fantasy/SciFi thread for suggestions and walking away with Abercrombie's First Law series, I'm liking what I've seen so far with the genre. I was looking for a my next series, which came down between Malazan and The Dresden Files. I went with Malazan if for nothing more than a lot of the books were on sale for $2.99 on Kindle. I'm a little worried that perhaps I've gotten way in over my head here. I've heard the first book starts pretty slow, but my main concern is the plot gets bloated through all these books. How cumbersome are these books to a fantasy/epic series novice? Hold me! And does anyone have a link with a non-spoiler maps? My digital copies are unreadable on my old device.
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Jul 22, 2012 18:55
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Basically the only other fantasy I've read is some Tolkien and A Song of Fire and Ice, and I really didn't find the series too hard to follow. It's a bit frustrating at first as he introduces new character/story one after the other, and sometimes you get attached to one that he's not going to touch on for another couple of books, but overall I didn't find it hard to follow. Just accept the magic system and realize that the more you read, the more it'll make sense.
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Jul 22, 2012 19:35
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I started my foray into modern fantasy with Abercrombie as well. The Malazan series is a more involved read, and more rewarding at the same time. It's obvious to see how Erickson's history in anthropology impacts his work, and I really enjoy the way he builds his world and characters. The first law is definitely more succinct. In more ways than page count alone. Abercrombie sticks with a handful of characters and they each get a full story arc with a satisfying conclusion (with the possible exception of Logen). His story moves at a nice clip and the tone is pretty even throughout. Erickson shifts between dozens of characters, and some don't get much in terms of resolution. It can be a bit daunting at first, as he refuses to dump exposition on the reader. So it takes some time to get used to all the made up words and the convoluted magic system. You've got to read carefully and piece things together as you go, as there are quite a few plot points that are simply inferred and never explicitly stated. It you liked the themes that Abercrombie dealt with, and the way he subverts the more traditional fantasy archetypes, you'll definitely enjoy Malazan. It can be intimidating looking at all ten books stacked up together, but I really couldn't recommend it more highly.
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Jul 22, 2012 20:39
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Dresden, however, makes an excellent palate cleanser and comedown read after a Malazan book. When re-reading I tend to go Malaz/Dresden/Malaz/Dresden, while Abercrombie can be read one after the other. I'm not saying he's better or worse because of it, it's just Dresden is lighter than average, and Erikson really leaves you needing a lighter comedown.
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Jul 22, 2012 20:55
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Thanks guys. I'm pretty confident in my choice now.Pokeylope posted:The first law is definitely more succinct. In more ways than page count alone. Abercrombie sticks with a handful of characters and they each get a full story arc with a satisfying conclusion (with the possible exception of Logen). His story moves at a nice clip and the tone is pretty even throughout. Patience is definitely not one of my virtues. Each time a chapter would switch to another character's perspective in The First Law series I would get a little grumpy for about 3 pages until the new one sucked me in. A bit of an exaggeration, but I was concerned that this happening on the scale of entire books would be too frustrating. It's no longer a concern, and if anything it's more exciting after the encouraging posts. So thanks again!
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Jul 22, 2012 20:55
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I just finished Return of the Crimson Guard and I didn't think it was too bad! Maybe because I took a 4 month break from the series since finishing The Crippled God. But goddamn Kyle.
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Jul 22, 2012 23:49
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dishwasherlove posted:I just finished Return of the Crimson Guard and I didn't think it was too bad! Maybe because I took a 4 month break from the series since finishing The Crippled God. But goddamn Kyle. Oddly enough, Kyle goes from one of ICE's worst characters in RotCG to one of his best in Stonewielder. Am I alone in thinking that the Dresden Files are total crap? I read up to Death Masks, and I couldn't take one more sentence of Butcher's awful prose. I rag on Erikson sometimes, but Butcher is so much worse that there's really no comparison.
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Jul 23, 2012 03:46
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I think I hit on what is annoying about Kyle, is that in ICE's writing there are always these rube characters with their forced-stupid first person commentary. See Kiska in NoK, Suth (who gets better admittedly) and more Kiska in Stoneweilder, and Butcher & the girl from the bandit camp whose name I can't remember in OST. I must say, I really did enjoy OST a lot. I can deal with some of the characters changing a bit, and I really liked how certain character's arcs finished. There's also good hooks for the upcoming Andii novels as well.
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Jul 23, 2012 04:44
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I've been wondering about something since I finished TCG a few weeks ago. Overall I was pleased with how the series ended, but one of my favorite characters sort of fell by the wayside as the series went on. I expected Duiker to go somewhere. Deadhouse Gates was one of my favorite books. The chain of dogs in particular, and having Duiker return just to mope around in a bar for awhile was a bit of a let down. I figured after hood was out of the picture he'd have a change of heart, similar to what happened with Byrs, but it's never addressed. I really loved his character, and I expected more to come out of his story. Does he appear in any of the ICE books? What about Fisher?
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Jul 23, 2012 06:37
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Yes they're both chilling in Darujistan in OST. Duiker has a killer one liner in that book too, and fisher gets a big plot hook at the end as well.
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Jul 23, 2012 06:47
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I've been perusing info on this series for a bit now and I think I'm ready to take the plunge. I'm going out tomorrow to buy the first two books. I haven't been sucked into a fantasy world since I was younger (Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Lost Years of Merlin, The Stand, Game of Thrones), and I'm hoping to rekindle the magic of flipping pages at home instead of just when I'm on the go.
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Jul 23, 2012 07:39
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geeksauce posted:I've been perusing info on this series for a bit now and I think I'm ready to take the plunge. I'm going out tomorrow to buy the first two books. I haven't been sucked into a fantasy world since I was younger (Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Lost Years of Merlin, The Stand, Game of Thrones), and I'm hoping to rekindle the magic of flipping pages at home instead of just when I'm on the go. This probably doesn't make much sense right now, but do yourself a favor and spend the extra $8~ to get the first three rather than just the first two.
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Jul 23, 2012 10:36
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Yeah I read books. posted:This probably doesn't make much sense right now, but do yourself a favor and spend the extra $8~ to get the first three rather than just the first two. I'm sorta low on cash at the moment due to a car payment and taxes coming out within the same week. The main reason I'm grabbing the first two at the same time is because my local B&Ns only have one copy of the MMPB copy of the second book. I hate the larger versions, as they don't feel as comfortable to me and they cost more. I'll try to pick up the third after my first paycheck in August.
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Jul 23, 2012 11:11
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