A review by lucastasm
Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

Steven Erikson does it again! I swear this series gets better (and 10x more complicated) with every book. As always, the action and writing of battles and military tactics was intriguing which I find impressive given that those parts are usually the most difficult for me to trudge through in a fantasy book. I think it has to with the way you feel as if you’re in the environment - the sounds, smells, sights, etc. but without being too bogged down by dense and confusing prose. This book had me annotating and reflecting how its themes of subjugation, colonization, wealth and what people will do for power are so relevant to our society today - even in such an unrecognizable world like Malazan, there are still familiarities which I think lends itself to being an interesting read. At the beginning, I was slightly confused as it always takes me a bit when starting one of his books to get back into the rhythm, remember all the characters and backstories but that’s where the dramatis personae and wiki really come in to clear things up - which I highly recommend. The characters (both old and new) are again so varied not just in personality or actions but ideals, race (human and non-human) that it’s truly astounding how well-thought out and creative they all are. The only hard thing about this series is how dark it gets - so be aware that this is NOT a light-hearted read; it’s entertaining and action-packed and reflective but also incredibly disturbing and gruesome. I give it a 4/5 because even though I did love it, it isn’t my favourite of the series so far and a few of the storylines didn’t quite captivate me or help me understand their relevance to the overall plot.
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