pwatson97's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
tjm1618's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Pedophilia, Rape, and War
Moderate: Addiction and Murder
blainembentley's review against another edition
4.0
This has been my most enjoyable Malazan read yet. This was the easiest one for me to understand. It is a mix of a better understanding of the Malazan world, making it easier to understand what is going on and this book wasn’t as complex as the previous books.
I am slowly getting to know these characters and feel more connected to them. Not anything specific to this book, but having spent more time with the characters. Feeling more connected really helps my enjoyment.
This book had a very clear direction (once you got past part 1) in comparison to the other books. The story felt a lot more directed. I also enjoyed the subplots of this book and liked how they came together at the end.
My biggest complaint is that the first 25% focused on a new character, which made me feel disconnected. This part was the easiest chunk of Malazan to read and understand. I don’t feel it relied on any worldbuilding knowledge. So although I didn’t feel tied to this storyline, it was engaging and easy to get through (this still tied in nicely with the book).
This magic system is very soft. I like structure and organization. I like to understand how things work, so I naturally like hard magic systems. With Malazan, with the way things are presented, it feels like there is some magic rulebook that I should own and have access to, to fully understand exactly what is going on. Instead I just feel lost in the words and have a harder time understanding what is going on, how things are happening.
The post climax in this book felt very rushed, which made it even harder to follow everything that was being tied up in the ending. So although I liked the climax, I don’t love how things wrapped up in the last chapter.
Lastly, there are too many characters. This book relies heavily on the cast from book 2. I have a hard time remembering everyone. It also has too many POVs. It’s hard to keep track of everyone.
Despite these things, this was the most enjoyable Malazan for me so far.
nia_guy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rf1736's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
reeeeder's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
quiktripcoke's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
itkovian_books's review against another edition
5.0
This might by my favorite Malazan book, though it's hard to say since my preferences change upon every read. The very beginning is a bit jarring, since Erikson follows a single perspective for the first 200+ pages, instead of hopping around as he usually does. But Karsa's character arc within this book is one of my favorites in the series, and these opening chapters are some of the best. After switching back to the multi-POV story we're used to, the tension is already high after the ending of Deadhouse Gates, and it remains so throughout. The battle between Sha'ik and Tavore remains in the forefront, but I also enjoyed a lot of the "side" plots, such as Lostara and Pearl journeying in search of Felisin, Cutter and Apsalar's exploration of Drift Avalii, Onrack's developing friendship with Trull, and Karsa's second major journey following what was already a mostly-complete redemption arc in the beginning. A lot of my questions about the world and history were answered, though as these characters journeyed beyond the smaller scope of the war, the world also expanded in other ways. I don't think anyone succeeds at worldbuilding that is both broad and deep as well as Erikson.
My only partial criticism is the use of rape and sexual assault, as has occurred in other Malazan books. Erikson states his goal as wanting to depict/mirror all sorts of horrors that have occurred in the real world, and I understand his perspective and don't believe anything depicted in this book was particularly gratuitous, but this might be off-putting to other readers. So definitely a trigger warning for that.
Rating: 10/10
My only partial criticism is the use of rape and sexual assault, as has occurred in other Malazan books. Erikson states his goal as wanting to depict/mirror all sorts of horrors that have occurred in the real world, and I understand his perspective and don't believe anything depicted in this book was particularly gratuitous, but this might be off-putting to other readers. So definitely a trigger warning for that.
Rating: 10/10
asterix77's review against another edition
4.0
The Whirlwind’s rage had never before been so fierce, leading him suspect that the Malazan army was drawing close, that the final clash of wills was fast approaching. This was, in truth, a convergence, and the currents had trapped other powers, pulling them along with relentless force.
And behind it all, the whispers of a song…
House of Chains is the fourth installment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Like its predecessors, the book is divided into four sub-books. In the first book, "Faces in the Rock," Erikson introduces a new set of characters and writes the book from a single point of view. While Erikson frequently introduces new characters, dedicating an entire sub-book (250 pages) to the same point of view is a departure from his usual style. In the subsequent part of the book, Erikson returns to his "usual" style.
It's not entirely clear to me what the purpose of the single point of view opening is. While it can allow for quicker character development, this could apply to any character. Erikson often employs specific literary devices to support the story and plot intentionally, but in this case, it seems like he wanted to try something different—perhaps flexing his literary muscles and showcasing his capabilities. However, it didn't fully convince me.
The plot of House of Chains is characterized by the concept of "convergence." Multiple storylines converge around Raraku as the central point. Considering the other books in the series, I expected a grand climax. Without the context of the previous books, it would have been a satisfactory ending. However, with that context, it was somewhat disappointing. While there are still significant and emotional events, they have less impact compared to the first three parts.
It's a good book, but not exceptional. I would give it 4 stars.