officiumdefunctorum

Yeah. She literally describes herself in a message as "the fat lady with the spells". I think Erikson made it really clear that she's a big woman, which I thoroughly enjoy. Also, FENER'S HOOVES, MY SISTER JUST TOLD ME SHE STARTED GARDENS OF THE MOON TODAY. Peer pressure works! Mwahahaha. A year ago this time she was reading Wheel of Time after I did the same thing. Yessss.

Honestly I'd have to read them all at least twice more before I can definitively say which ones are my favorites. Midnight Tides stands out if only because it was the first Malazan Book that really made me laugh. Like, the first three are all intense and serious, and then midnight tides comes out of nowhere like a trout to the face.

I did very much enjoy the Silmarillion, Bakker, however, as @TheOrlionThatComesBefore has pointed out, did not impress me. I found the hyper-realism wearing on me, and the constant pall of betrayal and rape tedious in the extreme by the time I finished Second Apocalypse. Rant below. I enjoy a good grimdark session, but Bakker may have created the most cheerless series I've ever experienced. Honestly, though, I need more Silchas Ruin in my life. I'd suffer through it, for that.

@AngelEy3 I have trouble reading sci-fi, which makes no sense because I love Star Trek (TOS, Spock <3). I'll look it up. Maybe it will change my mind. All this talk of Kharkanus and now I think I have to read it, considering my love for the Silmarillion.

I'm just looking forward to my second read of Midnight Tides to experience Tehol and Bug, again. They are too precious for words. Tehol is very probably my favorite character. And @AngelEy3, I enjoy Malazan differently than my other favorite, The Wheel of Time. WoT feels very resolved, whereas I could spend days just coming up with more questions and wanting to know more about Malazan, the people, and the history.

If I remember the events of RG correctly, certain elements are rather important with regard to the goings on of the Crimson Guard. Makes sense. I'll be honest, though. I'm not sure it benefits the story to mix ICE and Erikson's books. Having read them separately, ICE's books follow a continuous story of its own, one that may have suffered for a lack of continuity if I was reading it as a companion to BotF. Maybe it's a process requiring some experimentation. I've done both separately, maybe I'll do them together, now. I'm nearly done with my DG re-read.

Even with the knowing, she's still annoying me. It's very effectively written. Her story is interesting and, as Erikson would say, filled with "pathos", but I can't like her, yet. On the matter of visuals, I feel kind of bad about visualizing Karsa as Jason Momoa's Khal Drogo... The T'lan Imass are totally Skyrim Draugr, though brownish rather than all gray. (Now I feel like we need a Malazan fancasting thread)

Right? Speaking of second time around, Felisin is just as annoying in Deadhouse Gates as I remember. As much as I'm tempted to skip through her internal monologuing, I love Heboric too much to do so.

Agreed with @Ammanas. I know what you're saying. Now that I'm (resigning myself to) rereading BotF, the gulf between the "fun" Dancer and Kellanved and the ascendants we know in BotF seems incredible. I don't want to say Esslemont is sacrificing character integrity for readability or laughs, but there is almost a sense of rewriting history rather than illuminating it. I know GotM is the Malazan outlier for a variety of reasons, but there are some plot discrepancies between it and Deadhouse Landing that are pretty glaring.

Alright, I'm done with Esslemont's books. Finished Deadhouse Landing yesterday, and I definitely approve of Path to Ascendancy, though I find myself wanting to go back and re-read BotF so I can recall all these characters who are important later on. I was listening and was like "Wait, I know that name. Who the heck were they, again?" I think I'd probably enjoy Kharkanus, tbh. I feel like maybe I should do something new, though? (*is reading gardens of the moon, again*)

So I've been reading the ICE books in earnest, now, and I have to say that they're keeping me on my toes in spite of knowing what went down in the main events of Malazan. You can really tell that Esslemont and Erikson built this universe together. Halfway through Orb Scepter Throne, and getting into the Seguleh is amaaazing. Still laughing about the quote from Stonewielder: "Sure, all fifteen thousand of us might manage to take one fishing village on that island."

He strikes me as a particularly stubborn character, one who'd dislike a final solution, so to speak. @Briar King, I just ordered all the ICE books on audible! They had a sale so I got them cheap. It's next on my list after Riyria.

Anyone else on goodreads want to share their year in review? Or, your favorite book from this year? This is mine... Not sure if I should be proud or sheepish.

Alright, Dresden is next after Riyria and Crimson Guard. I'll resist the Wheel of Time, for now.

Vance narrated the first three Malazan books! As much as I love Michael Page (he did Gentleman Bastards), I was disappointed when they switched. Kalam's voice was better, but he pronounced things differently and it drove me nuts. I will get around to Spider's War, I swear. Though I'm starting to get the urge to re-read the Wheel of Time. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are just too good.

Update: Finished Codex Alera, which I've enjoyed more than anything I've read since I finished Malazan back in September. I moved on to the Broken Empire, which was interesting, if short. I see what Lawrence was trying to do with it, and while I don't think I'd have liked it if it were longer, Jorg was interesting enough, and the first person POV a refreshing experience. The allusions and nods to other authors and modern culture were cute. I've got Theft of Swords ready to go, and Return of the Crimson Guard tempting me. We'll see who wins. MORE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WELCOME, though sci-fi remains uninspiring to me. Feel free to emphasize something already mentioned in this thread. Seriously. I need more.

UPDATE: It's been awhile. I finished the demon cycle, and have some feelings about how that all played out, some of them not very positive. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it. Haven't finished the Dagger and the Coin. I've got Spider's War left to read, and I think it's mainly a lack of enthusiasm combined with a profound identification with the "antagonist" preventing me. I'll get around to it eventually. I knocked out Oathbringer in about a week, and have lots of feelings there, as well. Most of which revolve around how much I wish Brandon would do more with queer relationships than mention them in passing, and that I acknowledge and admire how he weaves mental illness and neuro-atypical types into his characters, if a bit obviously. Also, SZETH. CALLED IT. SO CALLED IT. I'm now almost finished with book four of Codex Alera, and really digging it. Thanks to all who recommended! I had a long drive to and from Minneapolis this past weekend and it kept me awake and distracted from how much I hate life right now, because I am sick, menstruating, have no voice, and have two concerts with a couple hundred kids coming up next week.

Ugh, I have to finish Demon Cycle, Dagger and the Coin, Codex Alera, and Oathbringer before going back for more Malazan. Well. I say have to but mostly it's just those are the books in my unread library and I feel compelled to finish it before going on to another thing. At this point I don't know if I'll ever get around to Beren and Luthien.

I haven't read any of the Kharkanus books yet, might do at some point but they sound a bit heavy and I need a break. But WHAT IS THIS ABOUT A KARSA TRILOGY I MUST KNOW.

For what it's worth, I didn't find Night of Knives to be onerous in any way. Obviously not an Erikson novel, but it shed a bit of light on some events and characters and that's really what I care about.

Update: I read the first of the Malazan novels (Esslemont), and started The Dagger and the Coin because payday is a few days away and I haven't had a chance to get to the library, yet. Thank you all for your continued suggestions!

Lol, not to worry. SA was interesting enough to get on with at first, and then the last book was just... More of the same. I'll happily accept more of your suggestions.

Update: The Unholy Consult is killing me. I'm bored with it, at this point, and I've only got a couple chapters left. I need something to look forward to. Where do I go next? I've got the first books of both the Demon Cycle and The Dagger and the Coin ready to go, but anything is on the menu as long as it's not Bakker. No offense to anyone who likes his stuff, but I've got an inkling now of why some people consider Tolkien a snooze. Too many opinions, not enough time. More follows if you want to read about my complaints.

@Briar King Yes, I'll get to the others eventually. Unfortunately they're not available in audiobook form as far as I can tell... I'll have to look more. @AngelEy3 daydreaming and speculation is my greatest pleasure. I am a lover of fanfiction, after all. In any case, it was all the little things I loved about Malazan. I will never take for granted a dog peeing on Hood's boot.

Update: Finished Malazan yesterday. Allow me to flail around in simultaneous grief and frustration at how the fates of so many characters remain unresolved. Six chapters into The Unholy Consult. Honestly, I'd stop reading it if I didn't need to know what happens. Bakker's writing style is just... obnoxious in a way I can't quite describe. I'll be perusing all your recommendations for what to read next, since I'll probably be done with this one by the weekend.