Reviews with content warning for Torture - Memories of Ice

Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson

11 reviews

benehime's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Reader, I cried.

This book hit me harder than the first two (though the second one was pretty awful too). In this book we delved deeper into the tragedy of the T'lan Imass and the Tiste Andii, and I love both their histories! Arguably, the T'lan Imass are the villain of quite a few stories and getting more of a glimpse of their long wars was fascinating. I neeeed to know who they are going to fight now! And what Tool is up to!

This book was heartbreaking, but goddamn, Erikson is F. U. N. N. Y.

And the prose? Is soooo good! Listen to this:
"The hand of vengeance stayed cold only so long. Any soul possessing a shred of humanity could not help but see the reality behind cruel deliverance, no matter how justified it might have at first seemed. Faces blank in death. Bodies twisted in postures no one unbroken could achieve. Destroyed lives. Vengeance yielded a mirror to every atrocity, where notions of right an wrong blurred and lost all relevance."

The last 20 percent of the book flew by. I couldn't put it down at all.

P. S. : Omg, I totally forgot the incredible Seguleh!! The punitive army of three! Them asking the Pannion Domin to please please go to war with them! Incredible, showstopping, never been seen before!!

Content Warnings

syinhui's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

When frozen between life and death, in the glacial in-between, what can exist of mortal feeling?
Not even an echo. Only memories of ice, of ice, and no more than that. Gods below. . . such sorrow. . .

Wow. That was one hell of a ride. This became increasingly unputdownable as the events unfold on all sides. I didn't know I had it in me to stay so focused on reading during my hours-long of commute. I'm the type who usually reads at home - where there are the least distractions but with Memories of Ice, I couldn't help myself. I had to keep reading. I had to know.

Everything was so intricately woven and multi-layered.
IT. IS. INSANE. I have no other words.

I don't think there was even a dull moment in this book.
Unlike the first two installments - GoTM, I admit was difficult - slogged my way through the first half. Some parts in DHG as well, particularly, Felisin's storyline which was my least favorite. But nope. Not here. Not with all the actions and revelations.

Not with the Bridgeburners being a dark-humored, miserable, suicidal bunch.

"Will this take long?" Lady Envy asked, her voice somehow cutting through the tumult to echo in Picker's ears as she pushed into the press.
"No", she grated, as two more Bridgeburners crumpled, "it won't..."

Not with Quick Ben scheming, Captain Paran being dragged along and manhandled at times, by the wizard. Loving the dynamic between these two.

"No one knows all that! No-one! You - you - how can you - aagh! The web!
The web of your infernal brain!"

Not with Kruppe and his insufferable dialogues or monologues. Perfectly understandable why Brood lost his cool.

"Kruppe defies all threats! Kruppe sneers at whatever demonstration bristling warlord would
attempt - "

Not with Lady Envy being her gorgeous and wonderful self, as always.

"I have an idea, a wonderful idea - as are all my ideas, of course."

Not with Rake being his enigmatic self, a solid presence that undoubtedly evokes both fear and wonder. And in his absence, left everyone deeply disturbed, panic got them playing the "Where is Anomander Rake?" game. Sure likes picking his timing and entrances. Always a little bit late to the party.

"Where is Anomander Rake? This mob could charge at any moment."
*
"You still do not grasp the gravity of this! Fool! Ox! Where is Anomander Rake?
Tell me! I must speak with him -"
*
"- oh where is Anomander Rake? They call for him, they call and call!"

Not with Bauchelain and Korbal Broach being this wandering, creepy necromancer duo.
Oh, poor Mancy.

"I confess... to a certain... confusion. Do we possess some chronic flaw, Emancipor?"

Not with Toc and Itkovian's extraordinary storylines. Grief and pain-filled as they were.

Her embrace broke bones. The more he screamed with the pain, the tighter she held him.
He had learned to suffer in silence.

"He is the Shield Anvil. Fener knows grief, so much grief that it is beyond his capacity to withstand it. And so he chooses a human heart. Armoured. A mortal soul, to assume the sorrow of the world. The Shield Anvil."

Though sprinkled throughout different chapters and POVs, I'm absolutely delighted with how humor was amped up by several degrees. Dry and dark as they may be. I had a few good chuckles and cackles. Now, I can truly say that I enjoyed this book way more than its predecessor.
Despite the deaths, oh so many deaths.

While DHG had me reeling as if I'd been gutted or punched in the stomach, Memories of Ice... well, drained me. It was exhausting, in its scope and complexity but also satisfying in the way it resolved conflicts and ultimately, how it subverted expectations. The bittersweet resolution to some of the characters made me so damn emotional. The epilogue neatly tied back to the events in DHG, the resurrected Imperial Historian, Duiker, recounting his heartbreaking journey with Coltaine and the Chain of Dogs.

So far, the time invested in the world of MBotF has proven to be worthwhile. The hundreds of thousand years of history, the journey of every character, their experiences, motivations, growth, and inner struggles stirred up a lot of emotions in me.
At this point, I am fully prepared and eager to embrace whatever the rest of this epic tale has to offer.

Like these memories of ice, raining, raining down upon us.

Content Warnings

xandrade's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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tjm1618's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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ozreus's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Such a loss losing the majority of the Bridgeburners, Whiskeyjack and Itkovian! I can't believe that they're gone but they went in such glory! Not with a whimper but a roar!

It was such a good book! It dragged a bit after the initial battle at Capustan but quickly picked up again, can't wait to see where all these different threads are heading!

Content Warnings

shreyash_89's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

lastobbe's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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auqua's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was a fav of the year. It introduced one of my favorite characters and scenes I keep think in back on. It says a lot about the extremes of humanity and the power of forgivnes.

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drollgorg's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Probably would be 5 stars if not for the inclusion of the Mhybe + the duo of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach, cutting those storylines (if you can call them storylines) would have saved 200 pages and cost the book nothing. The Mhybe doesn't even need to be removed, but she has nothing new to do or say in almost all of her scenes.
As for the book itself, it's hard to explain the appeal of Malazan to those that have never read it, but Erikson continues to impress me with the colossal scope and complexity of his plotting and world.

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danielleor's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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