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A review by sarazeen95
House of Chains by Steven Erikson
5.0
Title: House of Chains
Series: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 4 of 10
Author: Steven Erikson
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Personal Rating: 3.5/5
After the rollercoaster rides that were Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice, I began House of Chains ready for another harrowing journey, full of twists, turns and stories I could never have imagined on my own. And while the book did deliver some of those, the pacing was…disappointing.
The Malazan books are taking me an astonishingly long time to read, courtesy of their sheer density, but Book 4 was an absolute slog. There were parts of it that seemed to drag endlessly, with the plot going nowhere. For example, the first part of the book which deals with Karsa Orlong’s departure from his home mountains into the world of the “lowlanders” — did we really need almost a third of this 1000-page-book describing every single step they took? Honestly, it was easier to not pay attention. My mind would frequently drift off, and then I’d realize I’d read right past important scenes without even realizing it.
Coupled with the jarring effect of having the audiobook change narrators (from the hypnotic rhythms of Ralph Lister to the much gruffer tones of Michael Page), this was a book I almost gave up on.
I read and listened at the same time, so that helped some, but I’m worried about other, less patient readers.
I miss Lister. I want him back. Can someone please bring him back?
Don’t get me wrong — this wasn’t a “bad” book. It’s just that, in comparison to the incredible awe that the last two installments inspired in me, House of Chains just falls woefully short. I suppose it is too much to expect any writer to maintain such insane quality levels for more than two books at a time. It’s a shame, though, because we’re introduced (once again) to some characters that I’m already daydreaming about.
My new discovery: the Thelomen Toblakai, Karsa Orlong of the Teblor. Take your typical fantasy barbarian character, and then watch as Erikson turns it inside out. He’s not a mindless killing machine. Well, he is a killing machine, but with intelligence to match — you simply have to put him into context. And boy does he suffer with context. The sheer growth of the Karsa Orlong from page one to the Karsa of the final paragraph left me in literal tears of joy. Oh, he has his flaws, and there’s no shortage of them, but it’s also fascinating to watch how he learns from them. For example, his view of women. He goes from viewing them as breeding tools to living, intelligent creatures more than capable of matching him in every aspect. He even half-adopts a little girl — and then brutally murders her abuser in her name and in the name of the countless other children that monster had scarred.
And that is a man who loves his animals. Good God, he loves his animals!
As always, we are left with no choice but to admire and then fall in love with a number of characters, only to watch them die in quick succession. The deaths here, however, felt fitting. Appropriate.
I miss Paran and Rake, though.
I give Book 4 a steady 3.5 out of 5 — points lost for the sheer boredom of much of the volume, but gained for the breathtaking sea-storm that was the last three chapters. I’m a little hesitant about beginning Midnight Tides because, AGAIN, it seems to be about a completely different continent and a completely different cast of characters, but I supposed that’s what the Book of the Fallen is all about: discovery.
Series: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 4 of 10
Author: Steven Erikson
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Personal Rating: 3.5/5
After the rollercoaster rides that were Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice, I began House of Chains ready for another harrowing journey, full of twists, turns and stories I could never have imagined on my own. And while the book did deliver some of those, the pacing was…disappointing.
The Malazan books are taking me an astonishingly long time to read, courtesy of their sheer density, but Book 4 was an absolute slog. There were parts of it that seemed to drag endlessly, with the plot going nowhere. For example, the first part of the book which deals with Karsa Orlong’s departure from his home mountains into the world of the “lowlanders” — did we really need almost a third of this 1000-page-book describing every single step they took? Honestly, it was easier to not pay attention. My mind would frequently drift off, and then I’d realize I’d read right past important scenes without even realizing it.
Coupled with the jarring effect of having the audiobook change narrators (from the hypnotic rhythms of Ralph Lister to the much gruffer tones of Michael Page), this was a book I almost gave up on.
I read and listened at the same time, so that helped some, but I’m worried about other, less patient readers.
I miss Lister. I want him back. Can someone please bring him back?
Don’t get me wrong — this wasn’t a “bad” book. It’s just that, in comparison to the incredible awe that the last two installments inspired in me, House of Chains just falls woefully short. I suppose it is too much to expect any writer to maintain such insane quality levels for more than two books at a time. It’s a shame, though, because we’re introduced (once again) to some characters that I’m already daydreaming about.
My new discovery: the Thelomen Toblakai, Karsa Orlong of the Teblor. Take your typical fantasy barbarian character, and then watch as Erikson turns it inside out. He’s not a mindless killing machine. Well, he is a killing machine, but with intelligence to match — you simply have to put him into context. And boy does he suffer with context. The sheer growth of the Karsa Orlong from page one to the Karsa of the final paragraph left me in literal tears of joy. Oh, he has his flaws, and there’s no shortage of them, but it’s also fascinating to watch how he learns from them. For example, his view of women. He goes from viewing them as breeding tools to living, intelligent creatures more than capable of matching him in every aspect. He even half-adopts a little girl — and then brutally murders her abuser in her name and in the name of the countless other children that monster had scarred.
And that is a man who loves his animals. Good God, he loves his animals!
As always, we are left with no choice but to admire and then fall in love with a number of characters, only to watch them die in quick succession. The deaths here, however, felt fitting. Appropriate.
I miss Paran and Rake, though.
I give Book 4 a steady 3.5 out of 5 — points lost for the sheer boredom of much of the volume, but gained for the breathtaking sea-storm that was the last three chapters. I’m a little hesitant about beginning Midnight Tides because, AGAIN, it seems to be about a completely different continent and a completely different cast of characters, but I supposed that’s what the Book of the Fallen is all about: discovery.