elros451's review against another edition
5.0
Two things make this book stand out from a lot of other Malazan books.
1. Characters. This has a much tighter cast than other Malazan books and that really helps show off the main characters. Rant and Stillwater are definitely the stars of the show here and are among my favorite Malazan characters at this point. All the marines are distinct and even many of the Teblor, who always seemed to be carbon copies of one another in other books, had great personalities and differences.
and 2. Pacing. Barring maybe Crippled God and Gardens of the Moon this is probably the best paced Malazan book. It simply does not lag at any point. There is no excessive downtime. There are no dud POVs at all. And huge chunks of it are really great snappy dialogue.
And of course it's a Malazan book so the worldbuilding is off the charts, the themes are incredible, the marine banter is amazing (this is probably the highest ratio of Malazan marine time to page count in any of the books, and its great), and there are, of course, many jaw-dropping big moments. The one with a particular dragon rivals the best of the MBotF in my opinion.
5/5
1. Characters. This has a much tighter cast than other Malazan books and that really helps show off the main characters. Rant and Stillwater are definitely the stars of the show here and are among my favorite Malazan characters at this point. All the marines are distinct and even many of the Teblor, who always seemed to be carbon copies of one another in other books, had great personalities and differences.
and 2. Pacing. Barring maybe Crippled God and Gardens of the Moon this is probably the best paced Malazan book. It simply does not lag at any point. There is no excessive downtime. There are no dud POVs at all. And huge chunks of it are really great snappy dialogue.
And of course it's a Malazan book so the worldbuilding is off the charts, the themes are incredible, the marine banter is amazing (this is probably the highest ratio of Malazan marine time to page count in any of the books, and its great), and there are, of course, many jaw-dropping big moments. The one with a particular dragon rivals the best of the MBotF in my opinion.
5/5
tehols_blanket's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.25
dmondor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
doodlebuginarug's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
itkovian_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Colonisation, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Incest, and War
benehime's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It was really great!
Since it is book 30 apparently it already has great worldbuiding built into the story and can just take the reader on a journey. It's not for inattentive readers, since it's hard to keep the characters apart, but I managed! I read it the last 60 percent in a day, so I sure liked it.
I would classify it as grimdark, so that's enough warning. But it's hopeful grimdark!
These soldiers are funny too! Insane, but sooo funny.
Since it is book 30 apparently it already has great worldbuiding built into the story and can just take the reader on a journey. It's not for inattentive readers, since it's hard to keep the characters apart, but I managed! I read it the last 60 percent in a day, so I sure liked it.
I would classify it as grimdark, so that's enough warning. But it's hopeful grimdark!
These soldiers are funny too! Insane, but sooo funny.
plinktin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Body horror
nirnruth's review against another edition
5.0
A masterful beginning of a new series from the brilliant Steven Erikson. There is no one else who can write quite like this. Unique characters, heartbreaking story, and mind-blowing magic all seeped through with deep philosophical musings. This is not an easy read to be finished on the bus, but if you take the time and get immersed in the story, the experience is incomparable. Can't wait for the next book.
maukew's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Rape and Incest
inarticulateblog's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5