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Title: Memories of Ice (The Malazan Book of the Fallen | Book 3) |
Review of Memories of Ice (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 3)
- The ravaged continent of Genabackis has given birth to a terrifying new empire: the Pannion Domin. Like a tide of corrupted blood, it seethes across the land, devouring all. In its path stands an uneasy alliance: Onearm's army and Whiskeyjack's Bridgeburners alongside their enemies of old--the forces of the Warlord Caladan Brood, Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii mages, and the Rhivi people of the plains.(20050415)
But ancient undead clans are also gathering; the T'lan Imass have risen. For it would seem something altogether darker and more malign threatens this world. Rumors abound that the Crippled God is now unchained and intent on a terrible revenge.
Marking the return of many characters from Gardens of the Moon and introducing a host of remarkable new players, Memories of Ice is both a momentous new chapter in Steven Erikson's magnificent epic fantasy and a triumph of storytelling.
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Comments for Memories of Ice (The Malazan Book of the Fallen | Book 3)
- Posted on 2008-10-09
The worst fantasy novel I've ever read
After Gardens of the Moon, I didn't think it was possible to write a worse fantasy novel. Then I read Deadhouse Gates, and thought it can't get worse from there. How are we meant to accept that a Malazan army, whose soldiers disobey or murder their officers on a regular basis without consequence and have done since the start of Gardens of the Moon, suddenly obeys their incompetent "nobleborn" commander who leaves Coltaine to die, then surrender without a fight to be slaughtered needlessly by following insane orders? Just plain ludicrous, and did away with any sense of suspension of disbelief for the series.
Then I read Memories of Ice. The characters are even more facile than the previous books. You know Whiskeyjack is dead as soon as he falls in love (though doubtless he'll return later in some form or other - no one important to the story ever really dies in Malazan). Kruppe is even more annoying than the first book (how can that be, one asks?). The evil bad guys, the Pannion Domin, are just comical in their vile nastiness. But I just didn't care who lived or died, won or lost, or why. Very little actually happens in 1000 pages, despite the usual massive body-count of extras who exists to be slaughtered en masse to provide suitable wailing and woe for all the pacifist activists at war for no reason that matters very much.
So Memories of Ice combines the lack of plot, storytelling ability and characterization of the first book, then adds the endless whining self-pity of the second to make something even worse than either. The Malazan Realm remains utterly unbelievable in any and every way, the magic does whatever the author wants at any given moment without any discernable rhyme or reason, gods die and are born all the time and are constantly being bested by "mortals" (who never die or are reborn or Ascend), and once-in-a-million-years magical convergences happen every week (making them rather more common than once every million years or whatever ridiculous number he tries to use for effect).
Why bother having an army if any and every critter they encounter wipes out scores of them without effort? Of what use is an army if it cannot defend or attack with any success (unless it suits the author in the moment)? How is discipline maintained if the soldiers murder the officers with impunity - except when it doesn't suit the author's momentary purposes?
Does anyone on this "world" actually grow any food? If so, when and where? All the ordinary people are wiped out repeatedly (what size of population does this fool think the land can sustain to feed people without crop-rotation and industrial agricultural techniques - and he never uses magic to explain it, just to wipe out populations and even the possibility of agriculture?) or go into a cannibalistic frenzy for no reason other than it suits the non-plot of this absurd monstrosity. "Magic" and "the gods" are used in place of sensible motivations. People don't go to war over territory, crop failure, dynastic dispute or any mere human concern - it is all due to magic and gods folk "worship" without any theology or practical reason behind it.
The Master of Deck is so simply because he happened to be standing closest to Tattersail when she was killed, although she wasn't Mistress of the Deck yet. Or maybe it was because he patted a puppy-dog (sorry, Hound of Shadow) hit with a Big Magic Sword. Huh? Just a ridiculous plot device to make Paran the Master of Deck (whatever that may mean - I know, whatever the author wants it to at any moment) for no good reason. Assassins are everywhere (the basic Malazan tactic is to bribe the local Assassins Guild - and every city and country has one).
Anything and everything converts ordinary folk into gods - if it suits the author. Toc the Younger lost an eye to a falling rock in Gardens of the Moon: now he has Sight of Stone or something just as ridiculous and becomes one of the Wolf Gods or something. I lost interest.
Just a bad non-D&D campaign (he used GURPS) converted from rejected scripts into endless, boring novels. That wouldn't be so bad except for the tedious self-pity that constitutes most of the pages of this book.
Score: 1
- Posted on 2008-09-11
a pretty cool book [no spoilers]
"Memories of Ice" resumes Ganoes Paran's storyline two months after the second novel in "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" saga. The superb writing effectively illustrates the detailed world with great action and imaginative engagements against an exceedingly overwhelming and slightly improbable enemy. The series has become darker with more adult themes and violent encounters.
The T'lan Imass Tool develops into a strong character, expressing a subtle sense of humor. Quick Ben and Ganoes engage in various exciting key encounters where much of Quick Ben's history and overall skill is revealed. The Malazan foe Caladan Brood and a caravan guard Gruntle adequately compliment the cast but fellow guard Buke's storyline vanishes. Significant incidents happen to some of the major characters with a surprise appearance at the end tying in the prior book.
Many characters have unusually high skills, whether combat or magical, which unbalances the series. Allied characters deduce hidden agendas far too easily as to become commonplace. After three novels, I find it difficult understanding the process of channeling magic or for ascending characters.
Given the abundant quantity of characters, a comprehensive appendix is necessary including racial characteristics, relating magical powers, and describing creatures.
Thank you.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-09-05
THIS SERIES JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER!!!
If you've read the series up to this point, I don't need to tell you how great it is. But you're in for a treat because this book is the best yet! There is a further fleshing out of the characters in Gardens, which makes you connect better them and makes the reading flow by... AWESOME WORK, MR. ERIKSON!
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-07-23
Very Good Read but...
I agree with the positive comments concerning the books complexity. Yet, I found the phrase "none the less" to be used profusely and way too much. One reviewer commented that the characters tend to speak the same. I believe these instances (along with the phrase) are, however, signs of editorial errors. Although not a professional in the field, I would hope that a reviewer for publication would note these concerns and suggest that this is a problem to the author, who may be too immersed in the plot design to notice.
On the other hand, I disagree with the negative comment regarding overuse of character's titles. Sometimes this makes the reading easier with so many characters and it provides diversity rather than repetitive naming. Moreover, in some cases such as the historian in the second book, a title may be used by others as a sign of respect. As a reader, I felt that the people placed great honor on the role of historian as she or he would tell the tale to others and for future generations.
These minor concerns don't remove a star for me but could enhance the readability.
Score: 4 - Posted on 2008-07-14
The series hits its stride here.
Fair warning... I haven't read the whole series yet, in fact I'm only on the fourth book, so to be honest I'm not sure the series will continue as strongly as this third book appears to.
That said, this book makes some of the slowness and incredible denseness of the first two books worthwhile. At this point in the series, Erikson has introduced many of his major characters and while he introduces more and takes the already introduced characters to a new place, there is at least some familiarity and cohesion now for the reader to hold onto. This book is also much more of a sequel to "Gardens of the Moon" than it is to "Deadhouse Gates" (which had an almost completely different cast of characters and took place in a completely different area of the world portrayed than did the first book). Events in "Deadhouse Gates" are mentioned in passing, but the focus is on the characters and general area of "Gardens of the Moon".
So what makes this book worthy of a 5 star rating for me?
In addition to yet again ending with some stunning imagery and scenes (I won't give much away, but let's just say that Erikson isn't afraid to shake things up, sometimes so quickly that I had to stop to reread a section to make sure I'd read it correctly), Erikson ties events in the first book to this book's prologue (which by the way is the first bit of this series I'd ever read, and is excellently done). Not only that, but when the actual connections are made after the prologue itself, it suddenly changed my perception of the first book's linked events. I won't go into much detail, but suffice it to say, I thought the linking was very well done.
One of Erikson's weaknesses in the first book was characterization. Obviously, if you have a ton of characters being introduced, there's not going to be much of a chance for each individual one to be fleshed out to the same extent as books that focus on far fewer characters. However, this book did add a bit more fleshing out, and as a consequence, made at least some of the characters much more three dimensional.
I realize I've covered almost nothing of the plot. The main thrust of the story regards a military operation against a new threat to the Malazan Empire. There's political intrigue to spare. Individuals end up on their own quests. Loose ends abound. In other words, the plot itself is similar to the first two books in feel, even if the specifics are different. What becomes obvious is that there is much more going on beneath the surface of the story and Erikson seems to be a master at giving just enough to make the reader itch like crazy to find out more, while not giving away his secrets too quickly.
Simply put, Erikson's writing style is much more mature and surefooted in this novel than it was in "Gardens of the Moon" and even "Deadhouse Gates". He continues to impress with the ability to paint vivid scenes, including epic ones that rival anything I've read. And finally, by tying together some loose ends (which the reader really didn't even realize were loose to begin with) he makes the previously read "Gardens of the Moon" a better book in retrospect. The series may not be for everyone, but the payoff in this novel is worth some of the rough edges in the first two.
Score: 5
