Discussion for Malazan Book of the Fallen: The Bonehunters (Spoilers through book 6)
I recently finished The Bonehunters, the 6th book in Malazan Book of the Fallen and taking the advice of @DynamoSunshirt I decided to post this to see the thoughts and opinions of everyone here on this book in the series, and by extension how it builds upon the previous books.
I've felt like each book in the series has drawn me further in, and this was no exception. One thing that I've found in reading large scale series with multiple POVs is that there are often ones that I'm not interested in or find less appealing than others while reading it and look forward to getting back to my favorite characters. There wasn't a single character in this volume, and so far in Malazan, that I wasn't interested in following.
I'm wrapping up my work day and don't have a lot of time to write out all my thoughts on the book but wanted to get this posted while it was on my mind and then add in more later.
I loved seeing so many potlines from the previous books start coming together.
The siege of Y'Ghatan was completely unexpected and was riveting to read, it being one of the longer chapters in the book kept me up late one night because I had to see how it wrapped up!
The end of the book felt like we were witnessing a pivotal moment and what seemed like a rapid fall of the empire. So many injustices with the Wican Pogrom and how the Chain of Dogs was being treated. I was honestly rooting for Tavore to usurp Laseen.
Heboric's potline feels like it is not completed and that the Jade Statue and all of those souls will have an impact on the storyline later on. I'm also left wondering what Hood wanted from Ganoes as part of the deal to let Heboric out of Hood's realm.
Karsa Orlong continues to be awesome and has become of my favorite characters. His self-assurance and introspection along with the seeming threat to civilization he represents is fantastic. I also saw a reference towards the end of the book about certain Tobalki possessing warrens of their own. I'm curious if he has reached that point and how exactly that works with all the other mysteries of the magic in this world.
I have a friend who has already read all 10 books, and I've been bouncing ideas/predictions off of him which has been great.
I am currently starting book 7 and would appreciate if any spoilers for the following books, or other books in the Malazan setting, are avoided.
Malazan is formative for me, but my kid seems to be sick so I can't give this post the attention it deserves. So apologies for the shorter response.
Y'Ghatan is something people think is incredible, best thing he wrote, or a chapter they couldn't wait for it to be over.
When Erikson talks about the famed "chapter 7" he is keen to point out that he needs you to feel trapped with them. In general, he jumps around and gets inside the heads of different characters while giving some storylines time to breathe.
Y'Ghatan will not let you breathe.
Until now you've read about the heroic deeds of the Bridgeburners as a thing that has happened already, something from a past era. So you need to be there for the creation of the Bonehunters. Entirely.
It transforms the story and takes you from history to contemporary, while setting up the rest of the series very well.
And my kid just woke up. Very interested to see if there are other Malazan enthusiasts able to weigh in.
I hope that your kids are feeling better! I'd started drafting up replies for the people who had commented on this post and then forgot I had this tab open and restarted my work laptop to test something and lost them all last week.
I feel like that chapter is going to be one where when I revisit the series I'll (hopefully) have paper copies and can sit down with no distractions and get even more engrossed in it than last time.
I really liked your thought about the being brought into the present actions with the creation of the Bonehunters. I also liked that Fiddler served as a bridge (pun intended) between the Bonehunters and the Birdgeburners.
I'm also so curious to see how the Bonehunters fit into the rest of the series. It's awesome seeing this small core of the army make such a big difference and feed into the reputation of the whole army.
Malazan is by far my favorite fantasy series. IIRC, I first read Gardens of the Moon shortly after Memories of Ice came out, and quickly plowed through all three books. I then re-read all the previous books pretty much every time a new one came out, and since the series completion I have read it from start to finish several times as well... So I have probably devoted more reading time to Malazan than any other series. It's my fantasy series version of comfort food, and I absolutely adore it!
However, despite my die-hard love of it, it's a hard series to actually recommend to other people though, mostly because of how insanely dense it is. It has a cast of hundreds, the world itself has hundreds of thousands of years of history built into it, it has a totally unique magic system, and a pantheon unlike any other I've ever encountered... And it also isn't helped by the fact that Erikson does absolutely no hand-holding, instead dropping readers right into the thick of it and simply trusting them to figure everything out on their own. It's an absolutely amazing series, and definitely worth sticking with, but it's a huge commitment, and not an easy read. So I always get super excited when I hear from someone who managed to stick with the series, especially since the first few books are often considered a slog, and has actually enjoyed it like you have!
If that's what you loved about Bonehunters, then oh boy, are you in for a wild ride! Bonehunters is basically the turning point in the series where all the characters and factions that Erikson developed in the previous books start to collide with each other more and more frequently, and to greater effect. And while Deadhouse Gates is my personal favorite of the series (because of how heartrending and impactful the Chain of Dogs is), I think all the books after Bonehunters are where Malazan really starts to truly shine. And unlike a lot of other fantasy series, Malazan's ending does not disappoint. In fact, the final book, The Crippled God, is usually ranked #1 in the series amongst fans, and for good reason. And all the books between Bonehunters and Crippled God are also often in people's top 5. So yeah, you still have lots of cool stuff and epic encounters to look forward to and experience for yourself. :)
Edit: I hope that last paragraph wasn't too close to spoiler territory. I tried my best to talk in very broad generalities to avoid any, but in my excitement I still might have revealed more than you wanted to hear.
I wish I had read this series earlier. I was recommended the series by my high school physics teacher (one of my favorite teachers) and after I got a few books into the series I looked her up and saw that she was still teaching at my high school and emailed her thanking her for the recommendation.
I saw a lot of warnings online about this series being hard to get into, but I personally didn't think it was too bad. I just accepted there was context for things going on that I didn't grasp yet, and I would either learn about it as the series went on, or things may just be a mystery. Kind of like learning about history in real life, there's always nuance or things that we're not able to see or learn about.
While Gardens of the Moon was lower in quality, I think it was still a very solid book that was engaging and had me hooked. Reaching Deadhouse Gates and having the quality increase so much was where I realized "this series is going to be amazing". I don't think any of the early books have felt like a slog. I've been thoroughly engaged throughout. I'm actually looking forward to the day in probably ~10 years I'll sit down for a reread and hopefully have paper copies of the books so I can completely immerse myself in the experience and try it while playing some Malazan inspired dungeon synth albums in the background.
I think you were very respectful of me not wanting any spoilers and didn't provide any in your last paragraph. I think with the scale of work that is in Malazan, having the characters start coming together in book 6 and continuing to merge plot lines together makes sense. If he were to do another Lether sized cast introduction/plot/location shift, I would seriously wonder how he'd wrap up the series in 10 books.
In the last several years it's very rare for me to read a long series like this back to back, and I had been taking breaks earlier in the series, but have read books 4-6 essentially back to back (with only a couple of short novels sprinkled in at times). I think I'll end up reading through books 7-10 as well, as I'm completely hooked. Once I get done with the main 10 I am going to take a break before starting to explore the rest of the books in the universe.
Me either, and me too. Most things encountered in the series do become clear as you get more familiar with the world, but the things that don't aren't all that important anyways, or are meant to be mysteries. And TBH, the world is so deeply and richly imagined that if Erikson did explain everything the first time they were encountered the books would be even more massive (and probably get super tedious, like reading The Simarillion was).
Some people found that aspect confusing/annoying, apparently, but I'm glad he didn't over-explain everything and just let us figure most of it out on our own as we experienced the story. IMO, it makes for a much more mysterious, compelling, and exciting read that way. And makes for much more fulfilling rereads too, as each time through you catch more things you missed the previous times.
It almost feels weird being excited to reread a series while I'm still reading it, but this does feel like it will be rewarding to read it again after finishing the series and seeing it with everything I've read so far in mind.
When I reread A Song of Ice and Fire before reading book 5 I felt that I appreciated it more. Tracking more of the minor characters throughout the stories and their smaller plot lines was enjoyable, and I also noticed a number of details I missed on my first read.
Hah. Yeah it is weird, but I know that feeling too. It doesn't happen often but when it does it's exciting! :P
I didn't feel that way with ASoiaF, and probably won't ever reread any of them again unless GRRM actually finishes the series... which is sadly looking more and more doubtful these days. But I did recently have it happen with a Tildes book club book though; This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.
Another book for the to read list, thank you for sharing!
I've looked at the book club and might consider it once I wrap up with the 10 Malazan Book of the Fallen books. I enjoy book clubs as a format, but lately it's been hard to find the time to fit in an extra book with all the other books I'm wanting to read or that catch my eye.
I only reread A Song of Ice and Fire because the new book had been released. It's a shame we may not see an ending because I remember the series being fantastic when I read it. I read one of his Tale of Dunk and Egg novelas which was a great reminder of why I liked his writing. I've only read one of his other books and feel like at some point it'd be great to explore some of his other works.
YVW! Time War was a great book, and was remarkably impactful for its short length. It was also totally not what I expected it to be though, which made it all the more interesting. However, I don't think it will be everyone's cup of tea (as evidenced by the somewhat mixed response to it in the book club topics). I would explain why but that would kind of ruin one of the most surprising aspects of the book. All I will say is that it's definitely not your typical, trope filled, scifi war story. :P
Speaking of short book length, it's worth noting that all the book club books are generally pretty short, BTW. The cap is <600 pages, but many (like Time War) are only 200-300 pages. IMO, the next round of scheduled books is also chock full of some really really amazing picks too... many of which I had planned on eventually reading anyways, or have already read, so you might find them similarly intriguing since we seem to have somewhat similar taste, at least as far as Fantasy goes.
p.s. I've never actually read any GRRM books outside of ASoiaF, I think because I'm wary of starting anything else written by him (and Rothfuss!) due to him not finishing the series. I know that's not fair. I totally understand writer's block/burnout/perfectionism anxiety/etc and can genuinely sympathize. But even still, I'm wary. I really don't like starting a series only for it to end up as forever unfinished. :(
Thank you, I'll take a look at the bookclub, and I think I'll aim for sometime this coming summer to partake (or whenever I end up finishing Malazan). There are so many good books out there to read and I do enjoy getting to discuss it with others! Ending my 20s and having kids really put into perspective that I'll never get around to everything I want to do, and helped me to shift a good amount of my time from Social media and into things I enjoy. Reddit used to take so much of my time on my phone, and then I switched to reading books on my phone helped me do more of what I enjoy instead of getting the dopamine hits from memes and random things on there.
For GRRM, I've only read Dying of the Light, which is a standalone. It was enjoyable, not amazing but quick and interesting. I know he has some other standalone books as well, which is what I would lean in to if I read anything else by him.. I don't mind reading a series as it comes out, but I do agree with you, knowing that he may never finish it does sour it a bit for me.
Rothfuss is the same for me. I read the first book with a friend, and sadly our book club fell apart due to scheduling conflicts. I'm halfway through book 2 and just don't feel like finishing it because I thoroughly enjoy his work, but knowing he's taking so long to finish it makes me want to read other things.
Heh, know that feel too (even though I don't have kids). So so soooo much amazing content out there to consume but simply not enough time, so we just have to pick and choose. :(
p.s. No worries, and no pressure, but I really do think you would enjoy the upcoming book club books, and participating in the discussions. :)
He'll find a way.
You've made me even more curious, so far it's not going to be in book 7 based on the dramatis personae, but who knows what will be in books 8-10!
I adore the Malazan series.
Fantasy in general is a comfort for me, something to wind down with in bed every night. I've read a lot of it over the years, and the Malazan series is one of those that stand out. I'm always hankering for more unique fantasy series, series that push the genre a bit. Far too often a fantasy series is just an excuse to write overly long Tolkien-adjacent series with one or two little twists. This one, however, is firmly it's own thing.
I recently re-read Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates. Erikson really does grow as a writer. Gardens especially is such a stark difference in quality, even though you can see the ambition is there. I'm eager to do a full re-read now, though I might skip the ones written by Esslemont. They're fine, but a bit messy, and I don't quite have the same desire to reread as I do with the main Malazan series. On that note, does anyone here have an opinion on the newer sub-series? The Kharkanas one and the Path to Ascendancy? Those weren't out yet when last I read the Malazan series.
Side-note: I'm currently immersed in China Miéville's New Crobuzon series. (Perdido Street Station - The Scar - Iron Council) Highly recommended, it scratches a similar itch for me. It doesn't have Malazan's depth of world building, but more then makes up for it with sheer inventiveness. It's a true fantasy series in every meaning of the world, taking the serious tone of the contemporary genre, the complexity of a Malazan world, and the utter weirdness of what a fantasy novel can be outside of Tolkien's vast shadow.
Path to Ascendancy is an Esslemont series, did you mean "The God is not Willing" from The Witness Trilogy?
We'll be getting into spoiler territory for OP if I talk at all about what's inside The God is Not Willing, but I can tell you that the latest trilogy is shaping up to be a good one. The first book in the trilogy is a fresh read, much shorter than his other novels, but it actually works in its favor. The dialog is snappy, the action is quick and makes sense, and what's happening seems to have a good sense of direction and reason to it. We get a glimpse into the aftermath of book 10 and see how it shaped the empire, and the world.
There is one uhhh..
Click to expand spoiler.
timetravel-esqueEven so, his learnings as a writer come to the fore and he manages to write a book that feels Malazan through and through without the exceptional runtime of the main Book of the Fallen.
I didn't get into Kharkanas yet. The ponderous navelgazing of the Tiste Andii in the Book of the Fallen is one of my least favorite aspects, and Kharkanas is books rather than chapters of deep Tiste Andii philosophizing. If that's your thing, I've heard they are great reads. Some even considering a few of those their favorites over books from the main series.
Path to Ascendancy is interesting if you're interested in Kellanved and Dancer. Esslemont is the creator of both of those characters and knows them more than Erikson does. Whether or not they're a good read I can't say, Esslemont's books aren't topping my charts.
As someone who enjoys Tolkien and Tolkien-adjacent series, I always have a bookmark in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings since I find myself continually rereading them (comfort reads, especially The Hobbit which is my most read book), I've found this to be a breath of fresh air. I do enjoy seeing the genre pushed in new directions, and I've been enjoying that in recent years as I've been trying to branch out more and start chipping away at some of the series I hear so much about. The whole series feels fresh and has kept me guessing what is going to happen.
Thanks for the recommendation! I've added that to my ever-growing to read list! There's just so many amazing books out there, and I'm excited to keep exploring them. I've found myself missing playing games, but at the same time, it's been awesome being able to still slowly explore other worlds like this in books since it is so much easier to squeeze in a few pages here and there in between everything else than finding time to sit down to play games.