this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2023
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I am rereading Malazan Book of the Fallen. Just started the fourth book, House of Chains.
The start of this book is the hardest for me to get through. The first couple of chapters are really boring to me and it's only after
that I start getting into the story. The rest of the book is phenomenal, of course.
spoiler
Karsa is captured and Torvald Nom is introducedEdit: damn, is there no other spoiler option that just greys out the words? Edit2: Geez, I only just now realize this is not c/books but c/sciencefiction. Sorry if this post doesn't belong here then, haha.
I'm curious what you think about the series so far. I love fantasy, and after everyone told me Malazan was the PhD test for fantasy readers I read the whole thing and was... Underwhelmed. I can't find anyone else who just wasn't impressed with it, people either hate it and never finished or treat it like it's the greatest work of fiction a fantasy author has ever produced. I have so many thoughts on it, but always get yelled down by either camp.
You are not alone. I've had the same experience and I'm wondering what the big deal is. The books are really good, obviously, and a master class in world-building, but I find a lot of the deus ex plot elements disappointing.
I'm only on Memories of Ice, though, so what do I know?
Which deus ex plot elements are you talking about, specifically? I know some of the events in the books can be confusing, but most of it falls into place eventually.
Spoilers ahead.
First one off the top of my head that stands out is the
spoiler
House of Azath taking out the Jaghut tyrant in Gardens of the Moon. All this buildup to the tyrant's awakening, he rampages through the countryside on his way to Darujhistan, mixes it up with Tool and Rake, but ultimately it's a magic tree house that got no real build-up or proper lore treatment in advance that takes him out.Fits beautifully with all his lore, but the timing and use of it in this particular book felt like a deus ex machina to me.