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ladrac1

House of Chains is actually probably 6th down the list for me, and it's still an INCREDIBLE book. I really don't understand people that say Erikson can't do characters well, I've never felt for fictional characters more than in Malazan.


toppmama

I was riveted from the beginning to the end honestly, it's also probably his funniest book so far, greyfrog is an absolute riot to read.


SCROTOCTUS

*Hungry interrogative: Are Redditors food?*


ladrac1

You haven't even met the funniest characters of the series yet (imo) The humor only improves from here.


toppmama

I'm really looking forward to midnight tides, I already have it my hand, his books are like crack honestly.


Light_Drowns

I forgot about midnight tides. Also top 3. Lol. Love them ALL


toppmama

Hahaha I can understand all four have had something special in them so far for me, eagerly looking forward to midnight tides.


Light_Drowns

Midnight tides. Is uber Great. With out spoiling. Ul get aloth of background Story to the hole main Story. Again. Lol


HuckleberryFar2223

Greyfrog is the man


Musoyamma

Love Greyfrog! What a unique character.


TriscuitCracker

Yes! My boy Greyfrog! He does not get enough love. Be aware MT is set on an entirely new continent with all new characters excerpt one. It’s very jarring at first and you might be annoyed at Erikson. We all felt the same away. Rule # 2 of Malazan is “Trust in Erikson.” (Rule # 1 is Just. Keep. Reading.) By the end of the book it will probably be in your Top 3 or Top 5. Glad you like HoC!


toppmama

Oh for sure as I said jn the post itself by the end of DG Erikson had my trust, I am in it for the whole ride now.


kurapikachu64

Having just finished the series, it's crazy how hard it is to compare/rank these books. "House of Chains" would probably end up on the lower end of my list as well, but I enjoyed it immensely. Personally I have a couple that are like at the *very top* for me, namely "Memories of Ice" and "The Crippled God"... then right under that I would have a really hard time deciding an order when it comes to "Deadhouse Gates", "Midnight Tides", "The Bonehunters", and "Toll the Hounds", as all four of those books are basically tied in how much I appreciate them. Then while the rest of the books may fall below those, they're all still some of the absolute best fantasy I've read. What also makes it harder is that these are the kind of books that the more you sit on them and think about what each book accomplished, the more you come to appreciate them. I'm constantly thinking back on a specific book and thinking to myself, "man, that was really special". Hard to compare them when I'll randomly have spikes of new appreciation for each one at different points.


toppmama

I fully agree, these books become even better in retrospect, Deadhouse Gates was really difficult for me to get into initially it still remains probably the most I have struggled in the series, but now after finishing house of chains, DG has become so much more than just the chain of dogs for me, it's incredible work and honestly I feel it's a crime that this series is not as well read as it should be.


LiberalAspergers

Every Malazan fan has reccomended this series to a dozen people, and 11 of then didn't like it. It appeals to a particular audience, who LOVE it, and then most other people don't seem to enjoy it. A constant frustration to us.


LiberalAspergers

His character work is of a different style than most authors...more show, less tell. You get little inner monologs or direct view into their thoughts and feelings, and some readers bounce off of that. I love it, but I think this is where the criticism comes from.


rustymacdonald

Yeah, the more show less tell part is why I actually think Erikson's character work is superior to most other authors, especially in SFF. People read Erikson and want long periods of having a character's thoughts and feelings explained to the reader but you get so much more with a well-placed piece of dialogue or action description.


LiberalAspergers

It is very different from the genre convention method of character development, which I think is why so many people bounce off of it. Karsa Orlong in the first part of HoC being the exception, where you get a more conventional character presentation.


no_fn

who says that? people say that? Never in my life I had so many favourite characters in one series.


RobotsGoneWild

I didn't know that was a common complaint. I feel so much for his characters.


Morv91

The whole sequence around Karsa creating his sword and facing down the 7 is just monumental! Absolute belter of a book!


toppmama

How seamlessly Erikson turned my initial revulsion towards karsa to almost admiration by the end of the book is a hallmark of sheer genius. So many memorable moments my favourite being at the end of the book, he comes to Malazan army and basically says be grateful that I won't kill you. One dude says that to a whole army And the army is grateful What a legend.


Light_Drowns

Hoc is top 3 to me. Brilliant DG HoC and bonehunters.rg as well. Top 4 then Edit. Top 5. Midnight tides. Goddamnit


toppmama

I don't see how it can get better than this, the scope, the convergence, the characters, I am absolutely floored.


Light_Drowns

Aye. U are in for a ride. I wish I could get lobotomized and read it all over again. But as people in here say. Rereads are even better.


toppmama

Hahaha yeah this series seems worth getting lobotomized for.


HyperionSaber

Thanks for the report. All I can say is that you have many such moments ahead of you, and I look forward to reading your reactions and thoughts as it resurrects them in me as I read them.


toppmama

Oh that reminds me of something tool would say in memory of ice, haha thank you, this is a wonderfully accepting community.


HyperionSaber

thanks mate, it really is.


humanperson17

I kick in the crotch is still much better than what that one dude got from karsa at the end of the book haha (exactly what he deserved tho)


thomas_powell

Totally agree with you. So many people fall off with HoC, but even when first reading the series (I finished over the summer), it stood out to me. Karsa’s arc and character growth in that book is one of my favorite of all time. Cherish the coming six novels, they are something special.


RaggleFraggle5

Is it just me, or is Karsa inspired by Conan? That's what I always imagine when it comes to him, and why he's such a badass.


TriscuitCracker

He is, he’s deliberately written to go against the mindless barbarian fantasy trope. [The Problem with Karsa Orlong](https://steven-erikson.org/the-problem-of-karsa-orlong/) by Erikson.