Rating: 
Summary: Erikson brought me back to epic fantasy
Review: After the adolescent material that had driven me out of this genre ten or more years ago, it was so thrilling to walk unawares into "Gardens of the Moon" based on a friend's recommendation. Stephen Erikson has succeeded where so few other writers have -- in creating a work of epic fantasy that doesn't insult the intelligence or maturity of his readers. And as this series progresses, I just get more and more impressed. I have not been affected by any novel the way I was by "Memories of Ice". Not in a long time....If any of that sounds familiar to you, read Stephen Erikson. Now. His works are mature, sophisticated, imaginative and profound explorations of the human condition, with tons of swordfights, magical duels, freaky monsters and complex political history thrown in. These are great books in every sense of the word. Frankly, not since Tolkien have I read anyone command this genre so masterfully. Unlike virtually everyone else in epic fantasy, Erikson is not rewriting or re-interpreting Tolkien. He is creating something entirely new. And it's brilliant. On the other hand, if you love Jordan and Eddings and Brooks and all that gang, then these books aren't for you. But if you're fed up with fantasy that assumes you're thirteen, read these books. Read them!
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Summary: Stunning Aventure of Epic Proportions!
Review: Enough others have written their reviews, so I'll be short and to the point. Erikson is the best fantasy writer alive. Gammell and Jordan are very good, but Erikson's writing has a grit, depth, and breath that is unmatched by anyone out there. If you enjoy high fantasy with a mature grasp of emotions tossed in with a complex plot, then you can do no better than Erikson. I ordered the first volume from Amazon UK and have just completed the fouth volume and still can not get enough. Enjoy the ride.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: First: Why are these books having a "stealth" US realease. These are certainly better, and more enjoyable, than Robert Jordan's most recent case of episodic diarreah of the pen. Terry Goodkind gets good press (why?). Wi'it'ch War had a big release (why?), and this book is left to founder without any support? There is clearly a market for big fantasy right now, and darker fantasy, in general, has been getting remarkably good press--and these are released Amazon only? These are great, great books--I can only assume they are offered here because so many people were ordering them from amazon.co.uk, rather than waiting for the US release. This, the most recent book in the series is excellent. A trifle cloying (near the end), but with such a richly imagined history, and excellent characters, this book deserves a much larger audience. The first in the series was a bit weak--but bear with it--it was the authors first book, while the second in this series is the authors 5th, and the added practice shows. The action in these books is brutal, and the outlook grim. Imagine glen cook's black company series with the battles, and their attendant horror, magnified, and told explicitly. Evil has a very powerful, very real face, and it isn't hidden, or pretty. Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the book, however, is the strong moral center. Hidden under an extraordianry world, with amazing characters and maic lies a book about compassion and tolerance. If my suspicions are born out, it is the birth of those virtues which forms a large part of the fundamental conflict in these books, and that is a powerful message. There is a moral center to these stories, and for all their gore, it is satisfying to see a reason for it. Or at least, I can hope for a reason. Even if you don't care about those aspects, the world of Genabackis, and its attendant gods, ascendants, soletaken, and elder races, is absolutely incredible. The fantasy and world building is a fresh and interesting amalgam of religious and cultural traditions. There are only a few worlds that can match the epic nature of this series--and none hat offer such an incredible history. If big fantasy is at all appealing, then you _must_ read these books. There is nothing out there that is equivalent to the world building in these books. Enjoy them, and spread the word.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Novel of Epic Proportions!
Review: I am an old hand at fantasy novels. I have read all the biggies, Jordan, Goodkind, Martin, and of course, Tolkien. Steven Erikson easily joins the foresmost ranks of fantasy authors. His novels are immense both in scope and in pure imagination. The characters are not mere cariactures of humans but are humans in the fullest meaning of the word. They have dreams, fears, hopes all to rival those of a real person. Even those characters that are not human are infinitely complex and interesting. The writing is uniformly excellent, showing Erikson to be a true master of the English language. His descriptions of battles are incredibly detailed and realistic. The plot is dense and forces a reader to pay close attention to the story. One point that should be told is that the book is not for the faint of heart. The plot veers sharply into the darkest parts of the human psyche and can be disturbing. However, the novel is so excellent and mesmerizing, I would recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in fantasy. Steven Erikson is an incredible author and you owe to yourself to pick up his novels!
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Summary: Compelling, fantatic...I want more
Review: I found Memories of Ice the most compelling work of fantasy I have read to date. The characters are vivid, and Erikson lends a certain amount of gravitas to this serious soap opera unfolding before us. It is easy to develop a bond with certain characters, thus when one is "killed off" one is pained. I find this an exponent of good writing. Credit has to be given to Erikson's editor. It would be easy for the writer to be carried away by the majesty of this characters, his convoluted plot and is lurid battles scenes - magical and mundane - and one more star should be added to this review for Erikson's success in marrying all the threads into a cohesive, exciting and "cant put me down" epic. My hat off to him.
Sergio Ben, Cape Town
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Summary: Absolutely magnificent book! For everyone tired of cliches
Review: If you have liked the first books of the Wheel of Time but you were really dissapointed with the next this series maybe just what the doctor ordered. Huge and well developed world and really complicated plot, many different cultures, races, tribes, nations. Characters who are not one-dimensional but are truely believable and for my money are among the best in the whole fantasy genre. No defined "heroes" and "villains". Emotional scenes who can bring nearly everyone to tears with their tragic feeling plus some of the funniest dialogue ever - Lady Envy anyone?:) The author uses as few cliches as possible - there is no boy-hero saving the world and such stuff. Simply stunning series with this book easily the best so far in it!
Rating:
Summary: Can this series get any better?
Review: Memories of Ice is an amazing piece of writing. Not since reading Glen Cook's original Black Company trilogy, the P.C. Hodegell's tales of Jamie the Kencyrath, Paul Edwin Zimmer's Dark Border series and the books of David Gemmell have I found a writer that produces fantasy of such high calibre. Tolkien /Howard /Lovecraft /Lewis /Leiber /Ashton/ Moorcock/ and those authors that I've already mentioned have all been part of my diet of fantasy as well the less palatable Eddings/Brook/Jordon. But the Malazan series is one that has truly captured my imagination, in it's depiction and depth of the key characters, the sheer scope of it's world building, the mythos and the nature of magic within this world and the images that it paints of the glorious battles and wars of the past and present that have been fought, particularly those between the Jaghut and the T'lan Mass. Wars that stem back hundreds of thousands of years. All this and more bound together by a very fluid writing style. Again it is another massive tome but as in the case of "Deadhouse Gates" the pages literally turn themselves, Whiskeyjack - the only thing I don't like about the series is this character's name, Quick Ben and the rest of the Bridgeburners return, as do Rake, Kallor and the Brood. The now outlawed Malazans form an alliance with former enemies to battle a new terrifying foe backed by the power of ancient sorcery long thought lost and forgotten and the might of a fallen god. New characters are introduced as well as some familiar faces who Erikson seamlessly weaves into the fabric of the story. This story is dark epic fantasy at it's best, it is a harrowing tale of herorism, duty, vengeance and finally redemption. If you like Eddings/ Fiest/ Jordon/ Goodkind/ Brooks I'd suggest that this book is not for you... I wish I could award the book more than 5 stars, it certainly deserves more.
Rating:
Summary: Malazan Book of the Fallen series
Review: Stephen Erikson is undoubtably one of the best fantasy writers in the world today! Easily as highly skilled a storyteller as George RR Martin, Guy Gavriel Kay and Tolkien, he's head and shoulders over Jordan, Goodkind, Eddings and many others who spin out their tales ad infinitum at ever descending levels...
Stephen Erikson. Having met him in Calgary, Canada two years ago at an FF/SF conference, I can relate the author somewhat to the writing. Although his first book, Garden of the Moons, starts slowly, it's not long before the discerning reader is swept along by the tale ... that later is broadened by the 2nd volume Deadhouse Gates, and now by the 3rd Memories of Ice.
How to qualify this work? In a huge world, with complex characters and a fascinating array of real life and magical events, we visit another place that also often cuts to the core of the meaning of life. I think that Stephen writes from many different places, and quite simply is a must read for avid readers of any genre.
A shortfall? Perhaps fleshing out the characters somewhat more deeply, so that the reader can more easily "feel" the yearnings, the pain, the perplexity of events and life as it churns around and in them. That would perhaps also assist the unfolding of events in his sprawling world.
I would encourage anyone reading this mini-review to get into Erikson's work today ... and spread the word. I would like to see a writer of this calibre do so well that he can focus only on furthering our reading pleasure for many years to come.
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Summary: Long live the King!
Review: The newest king of fantasy ought to be crowned following this materpiece. Erikson is simply the best fantasy writer today--bar none, that includes Martin, Hobbes, Kearney, Keyes and Marco (all very good by the way). Erikson is simply a magician that creates imagery for the blind, music for the deaf and texture for the unfeeling. Breathing taking in scope, immaculately detailed, and wonderfully paced, Memories of Ice and Snow is without question, one of the greatest books I have ever read. My God, there are no less than 15 characters that I actually like and can relate to. Buy the series, get into Erikson and put down the Goodkind books. Go
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Review: The third book of Steve Erikson's Malazan series picks up where the first book left off. The Empress Laseen has outlawed Whiskyjack, the Bridgeburners, and Dujek Onearm after their failure to capture the jeweled city of Darujistan. The seasoned soldiers are not long out of work. On the continent of Genabackis there is word of a terrifying new threat. A deranged prophet known as the Pannion Seer is on the march with a massive army of powerful mages, undead lethal warriors and thousands of cannibalistic zealots. He has set his sights on the city of Capustan to conquer the city and for its citizens to serve as food for his ravening hordes. Realizing that the city's lone defenders, The Grey Swords, are woefully outmatched, Whiskeyjack and Dujek offer assistance. Because there are other more powerful forces propelling the Pannion, former enemies of the Malazans also offer alliance. The Warlord Caladan Brood and the mysterious Tiste Andii Anomander Rake march with WhiskeyJack and Dujek to Capustan amidst an uneasy truce. In the midst of this, the child, Silverfox is aging at a rapid rate as she attempts to fulfill her destiny. Ganoes Paran learns the price of having walked within the sword Dragnipur, a tribe is reunited with their Gods, an ancient wrong is righted, ordinary people become heroic, heroes are shown that they are all too human and a mortal man attempts to save a God. Right from the start in the first book where we are plopped in the middle of a devastating war and see a young girl possessed with the spirit of a deadly assassin, we are immediately wrapped up in the lives and fortunes of a great many interesting people. There is Whiskeyjack the beloved leader, who is weary of war and politics. There is Tattersail the clever mage whose reincarnation comes at a devastating price. There is Ganoes Paran , once a pawn to be played, becomes a master of the game. There is the fat, affable Kruppe who confounds everyone he meets. There is the mysterious (and wonderfully monikered) Anomander Rake, who has untold powers and hinted at sorrow. There is Empress Laseen, who may not be as evil as we think. And there is Quick Ben, who has many surprises up his sleeve. Although the subject matter of bloody, horrible war (along with rape, torture, cannibalism and possible world destruction) can be quite heavy, there are still glimpses of humor and wonder in his writing. I like the world he has built. I like the deep history that we learn as the stories progress. I like the idea of the Deck of Dragons where the hierarchy of Gods manifests itself in a deck of cards. And I especially like the fact that while I am pretty sure whom to root for, I am not always sure whom I should root against. Even the seemingly unsympathetic characters seem to have good reasons to do what they do. While I did read the books in order, I found that I actually had to go back and reread the first book in order to bring myself up to speed for this third one. The second book takes a bit of a detour and, rather than picking up right where the first book left off, it instead follows the story of Ganoes Paran's sister, Felisin and her travels in the deserts of the Seven Cities. While this was a bit of interruption in the action, it does whet the appetite for the eventual reunion of the two siblings both of whom have undergone both physical and metaphysical changes.
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