A review by bdesmond
The Healthy Dead by Steven Erikson
5.0
The second novella in Steven Erikson's 'Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach' series earns the full five stars with ease. It seemed like he really found his footing in this one, and all the things he was going for in the first book, especially tonally, were achieved and exceeded here. Above all, one gets the sense that he's just having so much fun with these novellas. And when the writer is having a lot of fun, it often translates to the reader having just as much.
The Healthy Dead takes place four years after our first story, Blood Follows. Note that the collection in which I'm reading these actually places The Lees of Laughter's End as the second story, and The Healthy Dead as the third. That is the chronological order. However, I decided to stick with the published order, as I typically do, and read this one first. I do not bemoan my decision at all. So then, four years after Blood Follows our favorite necromancers and Emancipor Reese find themselves at the city of Quaint, in which the recent death of their king has given way to an overzealous cult-following of the Lady of Beneficence, and all things associated with living well. Vices of any and all kinds, big or small, are now not only frowned upon, but punishable offenses (a problem for Emancipor Reese, who happens to be sporting a drug collection so extensive Hunter Thompson would drool), and certain citizens have taken it upon themselves to seek aid, in the form of ones Bauchelain and Korbal Broach.
As I mentioned before, I think Erikson really hit his stride here, and if the other novellas are like this one I think I'm in for a real treat with this series. The Healthy Dead is chock full of that trademark Erikson humor that wavers between subtle quips and utter ridiculousness. Anyone who has read his Malazan work will know what I mean, and will be pleased to find him firing on all cylinders here. In fact, he sets the tone immediately with this message, 'WARNING TO LIFESTYLE FACISTS EVERYWHERE. DON'T READ THIS OR YOU'LL GO BLIND.' Not hard to tell I was in for some fun. When it comes down to it, Erikson is taking these novellas as an opportunity to take things a little less seriously, while still cozy inside his Malazan world. And with characters like Bauchelain and Emancipor Reese at the helm, he has near limitless potential to work with. At one point Bauchelain has Korbal Broach revive the former king (whose corpse happens to be spiked to the wall of Quaint) just so they can chat him up and invite him to partake in a revolution by the city's dead. Oh, and they are both in their Soletaken crow forms. This is the type of weirdness that works so well in novellas like these. Erikson has a knack for that, turning the weird into a delight. I look forward to more.
Quickly, I also wanted to give a shout out to Mike Dringenberg (of renown for his work on Gaiman's Sandman comics) for his cover art contributions for both this story and the first one. His work fits perfectly with the tone.
Do you not realise, Mister Reese, how perfectly diabolical is this king’s genius? Every tyranny imaginable is possible when prefaced by the notion that it is for the well-being of the populace.
The Healthy Dead takes place four years after our first story, Blood Follows. Note that the collection in which I'm reading these actually places The Lees of Laughter's End as the second story, and The Healthy Dead as the third. That is the chronological order. However, I decided to stick with the published order, as I typically do, and read this one first. I do not bemoan my decision at all. So then, four years after Blood Follows our favorite necromancers and Emancipor Reese find themselves at the city of Quaint, in which the recent death of their king has given way to an overzealous cult-following of the Lady of Beneficence, and all things associated with living well. Vices of any and all kinds, big or small, are now not only frowned upon, but punishable offenses (a problem for Emancipor Reese, who happens to be sporting a drug collection so extensive Hunter Thompson would drool), and certain citizens have taken it upon themselves to seek aid, in the form of ones Bauchelain and Korbal Broach.
As I mentioned before, I think Erikson really hit his stride here, and if the other novellas are like this one I think I'm in for a real treat with this series. The Healthy Dead is chock full of that trademark Erikson humor that wavers between subtle quips and utter ridiculousness. Anyone who has read his Malazan work will know what I mean, and will be pleased to find him firing on all cylinders here. In fact, he sets the tone immediately with this message, 'WARNING TO LIFESTYLE FACISTS EVERYWHERE. DON'T READ THIS OR YOU'LL GO BLIND.' Not hard to tell I was in for some fun. When it comes down to it, Erikson is taking these novellas as an opportunity to take things a little less seriously, while still cozy inside his Malazan world. And with characters like Bauchelain and Emancipor Reese at the helm, he has near limitless potential to work with. At one point Bauchelain has Korbal Broach revive the former king (whose corpse happens to be spiked to the wall of Quaint) just so they can chat him up and invite him to partake in a revolution by the city's dead. Oh, and they are both in their Soletaken crow forms. This is the type of weirdness that works so well in novellas like these. Erikson has a knack for that, turning the weird into a delight. I look forward to more.
Quickly, I also wanted to give a shout out to Mike Dringenberg (of renown for his work on Gaiman's Sandman comics) for his cover art contributions for both this story and the first one. His work fits perfectly with the tone.
Do you not realise, Mister Reese, how perfectly diabolical is this king’s genius? Every tyranny imaginable is possible when prefaced by the notion that it is for the well-being of the populace.