A review by duffypratt
Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson
5.0
4/28/11 I might write more on this later. This easily could have been the first book of the series, or a standalone novel. It is easily the most coherent narrative of the books so far. But at the same time, for me, it didn't have the tragic scope of either Deadhouse Gates or Memories of Ice. And there is no character in this book who can compare to Karsa Orlong in Chain of Dogs. Even so, I came out of the book feeling satisfied, both with how the book worked on its own, and how it fits into the overall mosaic of these Malazan books.
The one thing (I should say the main thing) that keeps puzzling me is the time frame. Basically I'm trying to fit the timing of the events, which seem to take place sometime before the last books, with what was going on with the Crippled God in those books. And, frankly, its not making much sense to me. That's probably my lack of understanding, but it's gnawing at me all the same.
Reread: 7/24/13 - I take back what I say that no character in this book compares with Karsa in House of Chains. He stands a head above everyone else in that book. Here, Erikson has managed to create depth in a number of new characters. For sheer badassery, Iron Bars and Silchas Ruin might be on a par with Karsa. For depth of characterization, I think Bugg, Udinaas, Trull, and Seren are all in the same class as Karsa. And there are a host of other characters here that are not far behind.
Given the promise at the end of House of Chains, this book is the tale of the events that led up to Trull's shorning. The number of betrayals going on here, and their complexity, rivals Deadhouse Gates. The situation is much different, but it's enough to say that a prophecy foretells of a new Empire forming, and their are lots of different factions vying in their own way to set up their puppet as Emperor. So even if people appear to be working together, they are probably involved in some form of betrayal.
Against this background, Erikson tells several tragic stories. But the two that I found most touching are the tales of Trull and Udinaas. Both try to remain loyal, and both end up being branded as betrayers. But then, everywhere you look in this book, there is another tragedy.
To balance that out, this book also probably has the most humor in the series. Bugg easily rivals Kruppe and Pust in delivering laughs. Overall, for me, Bugg rivals Karsa as the standout character in the series (so far).
Looking at other people's reviews, it seems like most of the problems people had with this book result from it introducing an entirely new continent, with a whole new set of characters. That didn't bother me at all the first time around, and even less so here. Sure, I'd love to see more Quick Ben and Kalam, and Fiddler, etc... But the amazing thing is that Erikson has now introduced a new crew of characters, and I feel as strongly about some of them as I do with my old favorites. And by now, I'm used to the idea that Erikson will defy my expectations, and so I'm much more comfortable with simply trusting him while going for the ride.
Finally, there seems to be quite a bit of focus on solving the puzzle of the back story. And I'm almost as much of a sucker for that kind of intricacy as other fans seem to be. But what keeps me mesmerized by these books is the extraordinary interaction among the characters that takes place during the story itself. The intricate backstory for the most part strikes me as a bonus. And I'm sometimes dumbfounded at how intricate and well thought out it all is. But the part that grabs me, is the stuff going on in the here and now. This book ends with Trull being faced with a truly horrific choice. And the story has unfolded in a way that makes me bleed with him when he has to make that choice. I don't see that sort of thing very often in any fiction, much less in a fantasy fiction. But Erikson delivers this sort of thing again and again, and almost always in new, and startling ways. It's truly amazing stuff.
The one thing (I should say the main thing) that keeps puzzling me is the time frame. Basically I'm trying to fit the timing of the events, which seem to take place sometime before the last books, with what was going on with the Crippled God in those books. And, frankly, its not making much sense to me. That's probably my lack of understanding, but it's gnawing at me all the same.
Reread: 7/24/13 - I take back what I say that no character in this book compares with Karsa in House of Chains. He stands a head above everyone else in that book. Here, Erikson has managed to create depth in a number of new characters. For sheer badassery, Iron Bars and Silchas Ruin might be on a par with Karsa. For depth of characterization, I think Bugg, Udinaas, Trull, and Seren are all in the same class as Karsa. And there are a host of other characters here that are not far behind.
Given the promise at the end of House of Chains, this book is the tale of the events that led up to Trull's shorning. The number of betrayals going on here, and their complexity, rivals Deadhouse Gates. The situation is much different, but it's enough to say that a prophecy foretells of a new Empire forming, and their are lots of different factions vying in their own way to set up their puppet as Emperor. So even if people appear to be working together, they are probably involved in some form of betrayal.
Against this background, Erikson tells several tragic stories. But the two that I found most touching are the tales of Trull and Udinaas. Both try to remain loyal, and both end up being branded as betrayers. But then, everywhere you look in this book, there is another tragedy.
To balance that out, this book also probably has the most humor in the series. Bugg easily rivals Kruppe and Pust in delivering laughs. Overall, for me, Bugg rivals Karsa as the standout character in the series (so far).
Looking at other people's reviews, it seems like most of the problems people had with this book result from it introducing an entirely new continent, with a whole new set of characters. That didn't bother me at all the first time around, and even less so here. Sure, I'd love to see more Quick Ben and Kalam, and Fiddler, etc... But the amazing thing is that Erikson has now introduced a new crew of characters, and I feel as strongly about some of them as I do with my old favorites. And by now, I'm used to the idea that Erikson will defy my expectations, and so I'm much more comfortable with simply trusting him while going for the ride.
Finally, there seems to be quite a bit of focus on solving the puzzle of the back story. And I'm almost as much of a sucker for that kind of intricacy as other fans seem to be. But what keeps me mesmerized by these books is the extraordinary interaction among the characters that takes place during the story itself. The intricate backstory for the most part strikes me as a bonus. And I'm sometimes dumbfounded at how intricate and well thought out it all is. But the part that grabs me, is the stuff going on in the here and now. This book ends with Trull being faced with a truly horrific choice. And the story has unfolded in a way that makes me bleed with him when he has to make that choice. I don't see that sort of thing very often in any fiction, much less in a fantasy fiction. But Erikson delivers this sort of thing again and again, and almost always in new, and startling ways. It's truly amazing stuff.