Deadhouse Gates (Book 2 of The Malazan Book of the Fallen)

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Just in case blokes like Cotillion and Iskaral Pust lulled you into thinking Shadow cultists aren’t *all* bad, along comes this guy. Icarium senses his hesitation and tells Mappo he would die for him, and Mappo tells Icarium the truth about the First Empire city. Duiker’s POV chapters were easily the best part of the book for me, and anyone who has read this book will definitely know why. The Malazan Book of the Fallen — (1999-2011) Publisher: The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations. One of the T’lan Imass sacrifices himself to heal the breach in the warren, and the Imass take one of the heads, but they leave the humans behind to find their own way out.

Meanwhile, Coltaine, the charismatic commander of the Malaz 7th Army, will lead his battered, war-weary troops in a last, valient running battle to save the lives of thirty thousand refugees and, in so doing, secure an illustrious place in the Empire's chequered history. He’s no D’ivers, but High Priest of Shadow Iskaral Pust is much craftier than his ostensibly comic relief role leads us to believe. The Trygalle Trade Guild arrives via warren to provide food and water from Dujek and friends in Darujhistan and a bottle for Coltaine to crush against his chest when the time comes ("never underestimate the Empress"), and all present realize that Dujek's alleged treason is false and he fights alongside his former enemies against the Pannion Seer at the Empress's behest. GotM saw the struggle of Darujhistan (the last remaining free city on the continent of Genabackis) from the sides of both the Daru and the conquering soldiers of the Malazan Empire (which include everyone’s favourite bunch: the Bridgeburners).

However, the main reason why I didn't enjoy this installment as much as I hoped was due to being spoiled. When the Chain reaches the river Vathar, the Silanda is there, and Stormy, Gesler, and Truth take the most seriously wounded on board. Baruk’s bhok’arala servants from Darujhistan find Duiker and take the bottle with his spirit in it and his body. Steven Erikson is the pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, a Canadian novelist, who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist. Erikson had already written about three hundred pages of the new book when they were lost to a computer failure.

My experience of reading this book—especially on reread—was much better than reading its predecessor; I loved it. The events in it occur immediately after Gardens of the Moon, but they are on a different continent, and using largely different characters. Perhaps feeling slightly guilty about abducting her, then possessing her, then forcing her to commit brutal acts of murder in Gardens of the Moon, the Patron of Assassins now appears to have taken on the role of kindly uncle to the knife-artist formerly known as Sorry.Apt, at Kalam’s behest, removes thirteen hundred Malazan children crucified by Korbolo Dom’s army to the warren of Shadow and saves one child, Panek, to ride on and merge with her, then trails Pearl and Yil into the Imperial warren and follows them as Pearl challenges the Semk-bound warrior and Apt kills it. Sergeant Gesler and his squad are mooching around at a miserable coastal posting when the Whirlwind Rebellion sweeps into town. The Malazan Empire is rocked by a cull of the nobility, many being sent to the mines of Otataral Island off the coast of the subcontinent of Seven Cities.

Erikson has interweaving plots and sub-plots, and he expertly ties them together by the end of this book. The three are sent to the Otataral mines off the coast of the continent of Seven Cities where Felisin offers her body to the slaves' self-appointed leader Beneth in exchange for protection for the trio, and becomes addicted to narcotic durhang.Splitting off from his squad as well as his Bridgeburner BFF Quick Ben, former Claw Kalam Mekhar has one goal in mind: to assassinate the Empress. have just one directive: to escort as many survivors as possible to the continent’s lone occupied city, Aren.

You’ll know by now that the Malazan marines (like Fiddler and Kalam) are the toughest sumbitches this side of Hood’s gate.

Kamist Reloe finally captures Coltaine before the city and crucifies him, but the archer Squint kills him from the city wall at Duiker’s urging and thousands of crows arrive to carry off his spirit. His characterization is brilliant, and he has created people you cheer for (who wouldn’t follow Coltaine? We’re a collaborative review site run by volunteers who love Fantasy, Sci-fi, Horror, and everything in-between.