A review by avallach
Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson

adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

Content warning: this book goes above and beyond with sexual violence, to the point of being thoroughly gratuitous. Malazan so far hasn't shied away from using sexual assault and rape in its plot, but never to this level nor with this seeming lack of care. You get POV chapters from rapists (multiple), pedophiles (multiple), and victim after victim after victim, some of whom turn into predators themselves. Whereas the sexual violence in earlier books was used, in my opinion, appropriately in the context of being “dark fantasy”, this book seems to have included it for the hell of it. 

For an actual review: It's hard to root for anyone in an empire full of assholes, but Hedges Grand Adventure made it not so nearly as boring to be back with Rhulad and Co. The Edur and Letherii remain completely unlikely, but if you could get through Midnight Tides this is pretty much the same.
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