Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Tor Fantasy (2006), Edition: 1st, 843 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: The second novel in the awe-inspiring Malazan Book of the Fallen series. "Gripping, fast-moving, delightfully dark, with a masterful and unapologetic brutality reminiscent of George R. R. Martin." �?? Elizabeth Haydon In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha'ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising known as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends . . . Set in a brilliantly realized world ravaged by dark, uncontrollable magic, Deadhouse Gates is a novel of war, intrigue and betrayal confirms Steven Eirkson as a storyteller of breathtaking skill, imagination and originality�??a new master of epic fantasy. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member WinterFox
I picked up this book after reading a friend's gift to me, the first book in this series, last year, and I liked it well enough. It had enough going for it that I tracked down the second one, too. Now that, that was a good idea.
Deadhouse Gates is a sequel closer to the Diana Wynne Jones style
The setup is basically the same, though: multi-POV, most of them low-ranking players, and it takes you through the course of a military campaign: one army taking a huge train of refugees through a large amount of hostile territory to try to deliver them to the one remaining safe haven. There are also other plot lines, dealing with journeys of redemption, assassination and discovery.
There's a lot to keep track of, but it's not confusing. The descriptions are lucid, if horrifying sometimes, the characters fleshed-out and lively, the scale sweeping and epic, and the plotting very well done, although it's a bit of a slog as everything gets set up; with all the POVs and plotlines, getting all the pieces on the board takes a while, and it's not great until they're all out there. The battles and tactics are well-handled and not monotonous: it's not the same thing twice, and it's all fairly realistic (allowing for the magic of the world, but it's well delineated how that works).
The first one felt like he was reaching at points, and that there was a bit of Dragon Ball Z syndrome (he's INCREDIBLY POWERFUL... but not as powerful as... THIS GUY HERE!). The latter is around only once or twice here, but the first is gone completely. Erikson feels in control of his prose and plotting, and the result is a brilliant epic story. I was going to ding it for what feels like workmanlike prose in places, but then towards the end, Erikson really brings something out emotionally; it made me cry, it was so good. I think much of it, because it's supposed to be a history, can come off a bit dry, but it's still the good kind of history.
All told: very well done, indeed. If only all the books I read this year are this good, I'll be a very happy man.
Deadhouse Gates is a sequel closer to the Diana Wynne Jones style
Show More
sequel than the George R. R. Martin style one, since you probably can get away with not reading the previous book in the series and still get most of the quality. You'd miss some character points and a couple of connections, but not that much, all around. It's set on a different continent from the previous book, with a largely different set of characters, and a largely unrelated plot setup.The setup is basically the same, though: multi-POV, most of them low-ranking players, and it takes you through the course of a military campaign: one army taking a huge train of refugees through a large amount of hostile territory to try to deliver them to the one remaining safe haven. There are also other plot lines, dealing with journeys of redemption, assassination and discovery.
There's a lot to keep track of, but it's not confusing. The descriptions are lucid, if horrifying sometimes, the characters fleshed-out and lively, the scale sweeping and epic, and the plotting very well done, although it's a bit of a slog as everything gets set up; with all the POVs and plotlines, getting all the pieces on the board takes a while, and it's not great until they're all out there. The battles and tactics are well-handled and not monotonous: it's not the same thing twice, and it's all fairly realistic (allowing for the magic of the world, but it's well delineated how that works).
The first one felt like he was reaching at points, and that there was a bit of Dragon Ball Z syndrome (he's INCREDIBLY POWERFUL... but not as powerful as... THIS GUY HERE!). The latter is around only once or twice here, but the first is gone completely. Erikson feels in control of his prose and plotting, and the result is a brilliant epic story. I was going to ding it for what feels like workmanlike prose in places, but then towards the end, Erikson really brings something out emotionally; it made me cry, it was so good. I think much of it, because it's supposed to be a history, can come off a bit dry, but it's still the good kind of history.
All told: very well done, indeed. If only all the books I read this year are this good, I'll be a very happy man.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DRFP
Well, there's good and bad news here.
The good? Deadhouse Gates is certainly no less than a decent novel. The bad? It's only a decent novel and having waded through 2000 pages of the Malazan saga I'm still not convinced this is a series worth the enormous effort required to see it through to the
One feels that Erikson is simply grasping at too much in this series. The main problem here is that there's just too much going on. That's not always a problem but here it is. Events roll on from one to the other and there's no breathing space. There are a few very big revelations in this novel that almost pass by unnoticed given the scant attention devoted to them (for instance, Dujek's rebellion, surely the main point of the first novel is only worthy of one or two lines the entire novel - people in the Seven Cities had more pressing matters, true, but I couldn't believe that there was practically no acknowledgement of the fallout from Gardens of the Moon).
Other events of real consequence don't carry the weight they should because Erikson so swiftly rushes on. Even the end of the Chain of Dogs, the only truly harrowing thing in the whole novel, felt slightly underplayed. There's hardly the extended drama of an event like The Red Wedding, say. The entirety of Coltaine's march should be an epic event, yet only the end feels like that. Erikson never pauses to allow his characters, and us readers, the opportunity to experience the march. For instance - no point of view or knowledge is given to us of how the refugees experienced the march. Who chases Coltaine? Faceless armies, the odd named general who we barely, if ever, see. Who is the villain in such a piece? Where can we direct our anger? A story needs good villains as much as it needs good heroes and a big bad guy is noticeably lacking here.
Likewise, very little is know about the soldiers' experience on the march except that they went to one place, had a battle, moved on, had another battle, did some more walking, had another battle and kept on doing this again and again. That's not to say these battles aren't exciting but they lack an edge as they're fought by characters developed only to a minimum. By trying to do so much in this story Erikson undermines himself. Action is all well and good but I felt Erikson really gave the story and his characters too little room to live and fill out their experiences.
That's another problem with this novel: because so little time is really devoted to the characters almost everyone comes across the same. The uniquely delightful Iskaral Pust aside, everyone seems to be exactly the same in character - unrelentingly grim and serious. True, no-one is really in a good situation but I despaired at how the tone of the novel is completely flat - it is just one long, serious, grim grindfest. Even if Erikson lacks the wit of GRRM he could look to The Black Company (an obvious influence anyway) and see how Cook uses the likes of Goblin, One Eye, Croaker, to change tones and vary the story. The near singular mood of the novel did tire at times and it cried out for another Kruppe (a role Pust doesn't quite fulfil).
World building has been a fantasy staple ever since Tolkien but I feel Erikson needs to apply some brakes on this too. I consider the Malazan empire fascinating and I enjoy the depth Erikson provides that aspect of the story (in fact I wish its organization, its ethos and general philosophical underpinnings were given more substance). Yet I find the T'lan Imass and other non-human groups of his world dull and uninteresting. They might be hugely powerful but I fail, yet, to see why they're given so much space in these novels, why they're important. There is so much focus on Icarium in this novel, but why, apart from the fact he could cause so much destruction is he important to the story? No real reason was given, he was just plonked in there as far as I could tell. Similarly, all the sudden emergence of so many faceless enemy Soultaken and D'ivers in this book was tedious to say the least (although it's not like Coltaine's foes are anything less than "faceless" too).
I can at least congratulate Erikson on correcting some issues I had with the first book. Most importantly, it seemed (stupidly) as if the Empire was blind to the threat from the Pannion Domin. Thankfully events in this book proved that to be untrue and Erikson does a good job of erasing some leftover question marks. I just hope that in the future that details from this novel are properly resolved or given appropriate meaning (such as Icarium's prominence in this book). Another positive is that there isn't such a focus on super-powerful beings in this instalment and so the story feels a bit more human and down to earth this time.
Although I've focused on what I didn't like about this novel it's still, as I said, a decent book, worth a solid three stars. Erikson isn't a bad writer and I'm willing to give the series one more thousand page effort to pull me in (and if it doesn't after Memories of Ice then I can't see myself wading through a further 7000+ pages just to get to the end of it all).
Plot, characters, action, prose - everything's up to a decent standard here, it's just a shame Erikson isn't that much better in the way one feels he could be. I've read my share of great and awful fantasy and Erikson doesn't belong in either category at the moment. He's just middle of the road, for better or for worse, and that's why, in the end, I can only give this novel three stars.
The good? Deadhouse Gates is certainly no less than a decent novel. The bad? It's only a decent novel and having waded through 2000 pages of the Malazan saga I'm still not convinced this is a series worth the enormous effort required to see it through to the
Show More
end. One feels that Erikson is simply grasping at too much in this series. The main problem here is that there's just too much going on. That's not always a problem but here it is. Events roll on from one to the other and there's no breathing space. There are a few very big revelations in this novel that almost pass by unnoticed given the scant attention devoted to them (for instance, Dujek's rebellion, surely the main point of the first novel is only worthy of one or two lines the entire novel - people in the Seven Cities had more pressing matters, true, but I couldn't believe that there was practically no acknowledgement of the fallout from Gardens of the Moon).
Other events of real consequence don't carry the weight they should because Erikson so swiftly rushes on. Even the end of the Chain of Dogs, the only truly harrowing thing in the whole novel, felt slightly underplayed. There's hardly the extended drama of an event like The Red Wedding, say. The entirety of Coltaine's march should be an epic event, yet only the end feels like that. Erikson never pauses to allow his characters, and us readers, the opportunity to experience the march. For instance - no point of view or knowledge is given to us of how the refugees experienced the march. Who chases Coltaine? Faceless armies, the odd named general who we barely, if ever, see. Who is the villain in such a piece? Where can we direct our anger? A story needs good villains as much as it needs good heroes and a big bad guy is noticeably lacking here.
Likewise, very little is know about the soldiers' experience on the march except that they went to one place, had a battle, moved on, had another battle, did some more walking, had another battle and kept on doing this again and again. That's not to say these battles aren't exciting but they lack an edge as they're fought by characters developed only to a minimum. By trying to do so much in this story Erikson undermines himself. Action is all well and good but I felt Erikson really gave the story and his characters too little room to live and fill out their experiences.
That's another problem with this novel: because so little time is really devoted to the characters almost everyone comes across the same. The uniquely delightful Iskaral Pust aside, everyone seems to be exactly the same in character - unrelentingly grim and serious. True, no-one is really in a good situation but I despaired at how the tone of the novel is completely flat - it is just one long, serious, grim grindfest. Even if Erikson lacks the wit of GRRM he could look to The Black Company (an obvious influence anyway) and see how Cook uses the likes of Goblin, One Eye, Croaker, to change tones and vary the story. The near singular mood of the novel did tire at times and it cried out for another Kruppe (a role Pust doesn't quite fulfil).
World building has been a fantasy staple ever since Tolkien but I feel Erikson needs to apply some brakes on this too. I consider the Malazan empire fascinating and I enjoy the depth Erikson provides that aspect of the story (in fact I wish its organization, its ethos and general philosophical underpinnings were given more substance). Yet I find the T'lan Imass and other non-human groups of his world dull and uninteresting. They might be hugely powerful but I fail, yet, to see why they're given so much space in these novels, why they're important. There is so much focus on Icarium in this novel, but why, apart from the fact he could cause so much destruction is he important to the story? No real reason was given, he was just plonked in there as far as I could tell. Similarly, all the sudden emergence of so many faceless enemy Soultaken and D'ivers in this book was tedious to say the least (although it's not like Coltaine's foes are anything less than "faceless" too).
I can at least congratulate Erikson on correcting some issues I had with the first book. Most importantly, it seemed (stupidly) as if the Empire was blind to the threat from the Pannion Domin. Thankfully events in this book proved that to be untrue and Erikson does a good job of erasing some leftover question marks. I just hope that in the future that details from this novel are properly resolved or given appropriate meaning (such as Icarium's prominence in this book). Another positive is that there isn't such a focus on super-powerful beings in this instalment and so the story feels a bit more human and down to earth this time.
Although I've focused on what I didn't like about this novel it's still, as I said, a decent book, worth a solid three stars. Erikson isn't a bad writer and I'm willing to give the series one more thousand page effort to pull me in (and if it doesn't after Memories of Ice then I can't see myself wading through a further 7000+ pages just to get to the end of it all).
Plot, characters, action, prose - everything's up to a decent standard here, it's just a shame Erikson isn't that much better in the way one feels he could be. I've read my share of great and awful fantasy and Erikson doesn't belong in either category at the moment. He's just middle of the road, for better or for worse, and that's why, in the end, I can only give this novel three stars.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jamestomasino
I think the place these books succeed is at the very end. For the majority of the read I find myself confused, bored, and really not connected to the characters at all. Then Steven Erikson slaps me around with a solid ending with great pacing and a series of cliffhangers that makes me want to go
Show More
through it all again. I feel like an abused lover. Show Less
LibraryThing member Vinjii
I must admit, Malazan is making me cheat. I am reading these in German, because they're so dense that the English version had me consult a dictionary more often than the book itself. Erikson does not mess around, does not hold your hand and if you even as much as skim a single paragraph you might
There were quite a few OMG! moments. A few times where I had to wipe my eyes because someone cut onions on my sofa. There were a few NO WAY! moments.
But the Coltaine story dragged for me. I'm not a military fan and there was a lot of battle, battle, battle, battle. I do love Duiker though.
Now, can Felisin please dive off a cliff? Then again I did really enjoy her scenes throughout the book, so I guess she's a character I loved to loathe.
I can't wait for MOI, because I feel like none of it really makes sense yet. Yes, a few things are coming together, but Erikson really does not help you understand anything. Am I intrigued? I am intrigued! Am I in love? Not yet.
Onwards!
Show More
have just missed a vital piece of information.There were quite a few OMG! moments. A few times where I had to wipe my eyes because someone cut onions on my sofa. There were a few NO WAY! moments.
But the Coltaine story dragged for me. I'm not a military fan and there was a lot of battle, battle, battle, battle. I do love Duiker though.
Now, can Felisin please dive off a cliff? Then again I did really enjoy her scenes throughout the book, so I guess she's a character I loved to loathe.
I can't wait for MOI, because I feel like none of it really makes sense yet. Yes, a few things are coming together, but Erikson really does not help you understand anything. Am I intrigued? I am intrigued! Am I in love? Not yet.
Onwards!
Show Less
LibraryThing member dwsmac
The internet has told me this is a controversial series in how polarized peoples' like for it is. I enjoyed Gardens of the Moon, despite the frenetic writing. I sat on the idea of embarking on the rest of the series for quite some time, in part because if I enjoyed the next book, the next few
I had confused and nebulous expectations as I (kindle equivalent of) read the first pages. Would it be dark? Some of my favourite characters from the last book wouldn't make an appearance, so would I have any stake in the plot? Having now finished the last pages, I feel spent. I'm empty. There's a darkness to the book, but in that darkness is a small flicker of hope and optimism. The characters, all the characters (small throw away sentries included), are real and unique and you want them to win. Many don't and it hurts.
Deadhouse gates is magnificent. It awoke in me a fierce empathy and no deaths were reduced to a statistic, no matter how numerous.
The world building is detailed and enthralling, with only slightly too many rogue apostrophes. Memories of Ice awaits.
Show More
months of my reading life would be spoken for. I had confused and nebulous expectations as I (kindle equivalent of) read the first pages. Would it be dark? Some of my favourite characters from the last book wouldn't make an appearance, so would I have any stake in the plot? Having now finished the last pages, I feel spent. I'm empty. There's a darkness to the book, but in that darkness is a small flicker of hope and optimism. The characters, all the characters (small throw away sentries included), are real and unique and you want them to win. Many don't and it hurts.
Deadhouse gates is magnificent. It awoke in me a fierce empathy and no deaths were reduced to a statistic, no matter how numerous.
The world building is detailed and enthralling, with only slightly too many rogue apostrophes. Memories of Ice awaits.
Show Less
LibraryThing member washor
I am glad I didn’t give up on this series after my initial wave of vile feelings toward Gardens of the Moon. Wow, what a book! I’m spent! I’ve now learned that I need a few lighter reads in-between Erikson’s works. Please note that I try my hardest to write “spoiler free” reviews. I
Deadhouse Gates read slower than most fantasy books that I’ve read, but I did not find this to be a bad thing. Instead of being bored, the author enthralled me with his imagery. Erikson’s rich vocabulary coupled with excellent sentence structure produced a work that borders on a poem. It took effort to see what lay beneath the paper and ink, but under that surface I found an entire ocean.
The multiple plot-lines within Deadhouse Gates were vast and it was hard to tell which (if any) were central to the tale. That is a compliment as each of the plots were essential and they all came together neatly at various points within the story. There were several scenes that were downright genius. The one that comes immediately to my mind was a certain “promotion”. If and when you read Deadhouse Gates, you will know exactly what I am talking about.
The characters within Deadhouse Gates were portrayed so much better than in Gardens of the Moon. There were a few characters I never got a good feel for and hence had no real interest in their sub-plot. However, most of the major characters had true depth. I learned in good detail their inner desires and internal conflicts through their outwardly acts and their inwardly introspections.
I started to understand Erikson’s world better as I read Deadhouse Gates. This was something that had completely eluded me in Gardens of the Moon. The world within Deadhouse Gates was a very scary place. I would not want to live in Malaz. Battle scenes were vivid and brutal. Tortured warriors, dying men, and corpses of women and children lined roads that criss-crossed the entire map. The flies that came to feast on their blood were relentless in their pursuits.
The ideas regarding “warrens” and how they exist were totally unique (for anything I’ve read at least). How everything in the world tied to various warrens, from magic and the gods to physical locations intrigued me. The magic systems within the world were mysterious too. Hints were made about how they worked, but like the rest of Erikson’s work, it seems it takes effort (and multiple volumes) to truly understand. The world building that took place to create the Malazan Empire and beyond was truly incredible and has resulted in a work of genius!
Overall I give Deadhouse Gates 5 out of 5 stars. Much better than Gardens of the Moon at 2!
Show More
love comments on my blog – feedback is truly why I write reviews in the first place. Please make sure you don’t post spoilers in your comments or I won’t approve them.Deadhouse Gates read slower than most fantasy books that I’ve read, but I did not find this to be a bad thing. Instead of being bored, the author enthralled me with his imagery. Erikson’s rich vocabulary coupled with excellent sentence structure produced a work that borders on a poem. It took effort to see what lay beneath the paper and ink, but under that surface I found an entire ocean.
The multiple plot-lines within Deadhouse Gates were vast and it was hard to tell which (if any) were central to the tale. That is a compliment as each of the plots were essential and they all came together neatly at various points within the story. There were several scenes that were downright genius. The one that comes immediately to my mind was a certain “promotion”. If and when you read Deadhouse Gates, you will know exactly what I am talking about.
The characters within Deadhouse Gates were portrayed so much better than in Gardens of the Moon. There were a few characters I never got a good feel for and hence had no real interest in their sub-plot. However, most of the major characters had true depth. I learned in good detail their inner desires and internal conflicts through their outwardly acts and their inwardly introspections.
I started to understand Erikson’s world better as I read Deadhouse Gates. This was something that had completely eluded me in Gardens of the Moon. The world within Deadhouse Gates was a very scary place. I would not want to live in Malaz. Battle scenes were vivid and brutal. Tortured warriors, dying men, and corpses of women and children lined roads that criss-crossed the entire map. The flies that came to feast on their blood were relentless in their pursuits.
The ideas regarding “warrens” and how they exist were totally unique (for anything I’ve read at least). How everything in the world tied to various warrens, from magic and the gods to physical locations intrigued me. The magic systems within the world were mysterious too. Hints were made about how they worked, but like the rest of Erikson’s work, it seems it takes effort (and multiple volumes) to truly understand. The world building that took place to create the Malazan Empire and beyond was truly incredible and has resulted in a work of genius!
Overall I give Deadhouse Gates 5 out of 5 stars. Much better than Gardens of the Moon at 2!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Cecrow
DHG is an easier novel than the first Malazan book, by virtue of its world being somewhat familiar now, but careful reading is still rewarded as important sidebars and foreshadowing lie thick across every chapter. There are fewer stories to jump between this time and with tighter linkages, lending
GOTM was written in an almost experimental hand. The more straightforward approach of DHG comes almost as a relief. It costs some of the intriguing enigma, but what's retained (and expanded upon) is the enormity of scale, a surrounding world not merely mentioned in passing but sporadically intruding upon the story in small bursts or enormous explosions. This is not the same as what other reviewers are implying, that "you never really know what's going on", which I found to be misleading. The primary characters' stories are easy to follow and understand; it's the workings of the larger surrounding world, its cultures and its history that remain partially veiled in mystery. Personally I like not having everything fully explained past its capacity to surprise. As bizarre as those intrusions can sometimes be – and there are definitely a few scenes that would sound completely ridiculous if I described them to you out of context - they never fatally cross the line into absurdity.
Felisin is the series' first viewpoint character I had an active disliking for, at least through the first half. I tried my best to pity and understand her, but she was drawn so unsympathetically that I generally failed. The author likes to walk the fence with his viewpoint characters, portraying them as neither strictly good nor bad. I doubt whether he intended her to be so easily disliked.
I wanted a gigantic fantasy saga that I can really sink my teeth into, one that justifies its page count with plenty of action, mystery, atmosphere and suspense on as big a scale as human imagination can devise. Malazan is it. Ten enormous volumes looked like an intimidating task, but my concern about the time investment has evaporated if they're all going to be this fun.
Show More
greater focus and permitting time for the characters we meet to be better drawn.GOTM was written in an almost experimental hand. The more straightforward approach of DHG comes almost as a relief. It costs some of the intriguing enigma, but what's retained (and expanded upon) is the enormity of scale, a surrounding world not merely mentioned in passing but sporadically intruding upon the story in small bursts or enormous explosions. This is not the same as what other reviewers are implying, that "you never really know what's going on", which I found to be misleading. The primary characters' stories are easy to follow and understand; it's the workings of the larger surrounding world, its cultures and its history that remain partially veiled in mystery. Personally I like not having everything fully explained past its capacity to surprise. As bizarre as those intrusions can sometimes be – and there are definitely a few scenes that would sound completely ridiculous if I described them to you out of context - they never fatally cross the line into absurdity.
Felisin is the series' first viewpoint character I had an active disliking for, at least through the first half. I tried my best to pity and understand her, but she was drawn so unsympathetically that I generally failed. The author likes to walk the fence with his viewpoint characters, portraying them as neither strictly good nor bad. I doubt whether he intended her to be so easily disliked.
I wanted a gigantic fantasy saga that I can really sink my teeth into, one that justifies its page count with plenty of action, mystery, atmosphere and suspense on as big a scale as human imagination can devise. Malazan is it. Ten enormous volumes looked like an intimidating task, but my concern about the time investment has evaporated if they're all going to be this fun.
Show Less
LibraryThing member etimme
This is my second read through of Deadhouse Gates, and I still found the book to be long, boring, and full of whining. I can appreciate the importance of finding out about Laseen's true motivations in outlawing Dujek, and Felisin + the Whirlwind set the stage for Tavore's arrival at the Seven
Show More
Cities, but the book is still a Felisin/Heboric whine fest. Iskaral Pust, Moby, and the unnamed Toblakai do some to redeem the book, and (with the foresight of having read through this before) Erickson does an admiral job of crafting a large story with elements like the Silanda, but it still does not match the first book. Show Less
LibraryThing member woodge
This tale continues with only four of the characters from Book 1 (Kalam, Fiddler, Crokus, and Apsalar) and a host of new characters on another continent. The four from Book 1 travel to the Seven Cities area of the vast continent west from Genabackis. The seer Sha'ik launches a war against the
Show More
Malazans. The Empress Laseen picks the Wickan leader of the Crow Clan, Coltaine to safeguard the Malazan refugees. Coltaine begins a long, hazardous march to the city of Aren. There are several bloody battles, many perilous travels through strange "warrens", and some new interesting characters, notably the Imperial Historian, Duiker (attached to Coltaine's march) and the youngest daughter of House Paran, Felisin. Her journey takes some strange turns. It's epic, strange, dark, and weird. It's also big meaty fantasy with an eye-popping conclusion. I enjoyed it but next up is some lighter fare. Show Less
LibraryThing member trinibaby9
Once again a really refreshing work by Erikson. There is alot going on and not much time for explanation of things, but I enjoyed that, as it meant the book never felt like it was dragging or bogged down. I also enjoyed the fact that he has introduced a few new elements to the genre. A great read.
LibraryThing member awoods187
This book is the second in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. I highly enjoyed this book, and this series. The book separates some of the characters from the previous book. The team in Darujhistan isn't mentioned at all, while other characters are added. The characters a rich, complex, and often
Excellent.
Show More
surprising. In the same style as the first book, this book doesn't care if you don't get it right away. Things are not easily spelled out for you, and that makes it all the richer.Excellent.
Show Less
LibraryThing member patrickgarson
Erikson's follow-up to the excellent Gardens of The Moon fell short in many ways for me; much of what made the first book such a breathe of fresh air is missing from its sequel, and all too often I found myself reading a more typical fantasy than I was hoping for.
Transplanting the action to a
So why didn't I like this as much as Gardens of The Moon? There's several problems, the first of which is probably the length. Deadhouse Gates is substantially longer than its predecessor and - much to my disappointment - most of it is preoccupied with characters moving from one point to another.
This "journey"-style fantasy is a bane of the genre and whilst Erikson - as with everything - is a cut above average, it still largely didn't work for me. The reason is that most of the travelling seems if not aimless, at least arbitrary. The wonderfully motivated and active characters of Gardens of The Moon have been replaced by passive, glum people that things just keep happening to. Even worse is that by the conclusion, it's painfully obvious that outside of the central journey - Coltaine's march - much of the rest could have been skipped and has to be manipulated with deus ex machina to make sense.
Part of this is inescapable. Erikson's intense focus on the brutal uprising leaves little room for cheer, and most attempts at leavening the dark tone feel forced and arbitrary whether they're romance, comedy, or optimism. This said, arguably the most brutal and explicit part - Coltaine's march - actually works the best because of its interesting characters and stages.
Some of the other characters don't fare so well. Deadhouse Gates falls into another genre trap of having whiny, depressed protagonists with an adolescent and unrealistic dialogue. Coupled with his yen for drama, there are many times the book slips into melodrama, and the knowing, self-important soliloquys delivered doesn't help matters at all.
Further, as the mythology grows more tangled, it becomes difficult to know what's real. Erikson delights in pulling the rug from under the reader: "You thought it was X, well it's Y!" This is audacious and thrilling the first few times, but it starts to hinder reader investment due to repetition. I *want* to know things! And sometimes, what I thought was going on was much more satisfying and interesting than what was *really* going on.
And yet, the book still gets three stars. After this litany of disappointment, why? A few reasons. One, Erikson gets points for trying to do something ambitious with fantasy. The word "epic" gets thrown around a lot these days but this is the real deal, and if the execution stumbles sometimes, I'm prepared to forgive because I would prefer this to another "safe" fantasy.
Two, Deadhouse Gates is a maddeningly large book, but to his credit, Erikson throws a lot in between all the interminable journeys and some of it works really well. There are some good characters here (though I'm a little sick of sassy veterans, I can't lie), good ideas, great scenes. If you don't like one thing, there's probably another three that you will like.
The next book will be make or break for me - I need more than this one-note, "gritty", patchy fantasy; Erikson has creativity and ambition in spades, but he needs to bring it under control.
Transplanting the action to a
Show More
different continent, Erikson traces a long-pent-up rebellion against the empire. The central focus is the General Coltaine's long, refugee-laden march to safety, but - of course - there's many other narratives weaving in and out of the story, too. So why didn't I like this as much as Gardens of The Moon? There's several problems, the first of which is probably the length. Deadhouse Gates is substantially longer than its predecessor and - much to my disappointment - most of it is preoccupied with characters moving from one point to another.
This "journey"-style fantasy is a bane of the genre and whilst Erikson - as with everything - is a cut above average, it still largely didn't work for me. The reason is that most of the travelling seems if not aimless, at least arbitrary. The wonderfully motivated and active characters of Gardens of The Moon have been replaced by passive, glum people that things just keep happening to. Even worse is that by the conclusion, it's painfully obvious that outside of the central journey - Coltaine's march - much of the rest could have been skipped and has to be manipulated with deus ex machina to make sense.
Part of this is inescapable. Erikson's intense focus on the brutal uprising leaves little room for cheer, and most attempts at leavening the dark tone feel forced and arbitrary whether they're romance, comedy, or optimism. This said, arguably the most brutal and explicit part - Coltaine's march - actually works the best because of its interesting characters and stages.
Some of the other characters don't fare so well. Deadhouse Gates falls into another genre trap of having whiny, depressed protagonists with an adolescent and unrealistic dialogue. Coupled with his yen for drama, there are many times the book slips into melodrama, and the knowing, self-important soliloquys delivered doesn't help matters at all.
Further, as the mythology grows more tangled, it becomes difficult to know what's real. Erikson delights in pulling the rug from under the reader: "You thought it was X, well it's Y!" This is audacious and thrilling the first few times, but it starts to hinder reader investment due to repetition. I *want* to know things! And sometimes, what I thought was going on was much more satisfying and interesting than what was *really* going on.
And yet, the book still gets three stars. After this litany of disappointment, why? A few reasons. One, Erikson gets points for trying to do something ambitious with fantasy. The word "epic" gets thrown around a lot these days but this is the real deal, and if the execution stumbles sometimes, I'm prepared to forgive because I would prefer this to another "safe" fantasy.
Two, Deadhouse Gates is a maddeningly large book, but to his credit, Erikson throws a lot in between all the interminable journeys and some of it works really well. There are some good characters here (though I'm a little sick of sassy veterans, I can't lie), good ideas, great scenes. If you don't like one thing, there's probably another three that you will like.
The next book will be make or break for me - I need more than this one-note, "gritty", patchy fantasy; Erikson has creativity and ambition in spades, but he needs to bring it under control.
Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
The second of the tales of the Malzan empire. Following the fates of some of the characters from the first book, and introducing some new. The incredabily confusing style continues, not only are there a very large a bewildering cast of characters, places, and races the action chops and changes from
To me it is just too complex. I read to escape, and Erikson drags you into the complexities of a whole world. the various POV are nearly always low rank characters, a historian, a sapper, etc so you get no overview of what is happening. 900 page sof confusing focus is a lot of confusion.
Coltrane marches an army of refugees from various sacked cities across a desert, while being attacked by the new revolutionary army. Various other scattered elements of WhiskeyJack's former bridgeburners travel about abit on their various personal goals pickignup odd companions along the way. It helps if you remember all the details from the Gardens of the Moon, but I couldn't face the thought of re-reading that tomb too.
Despite all the Epicness, the actual prose is well writen, the characters detailed and alive and the plot interesting. But I'd prefer a 500pg summary instead.
Show More
one POV to the next within a few paragraphs. The reader does not get sufficient time ot workout who is where and what is going on before being whisked away again. A leser author would have completely lost everyone but Erikson is a true master of the Epic fantasy and the worlds and personality he creates is just, only just but sufficiently, massive to entrall. For those who though Tolkein thin, and want a fantasy that really engages a continent wide, if not worldwide span, as few others can manage, than this might be the series for you.To me it is just too complex. I read to escape, and Erikson drags you into the complexities of a whole world. the various POV are nearly always low rank characters, a historian, a sapper, etc so you get no overview of what is happening. 900 page sof confusing focus is a lot of confusion.
Coltrane marches an army of refugees from various sacked cities across a desert, while being attacked by the new revolutionary army. Various other scattered elements of WhiskeyJack's former bridgeburners travel about abit on their various personal goals pickignup odd companions along the way. It helps if you remember all the details from the Gardens of the Moon, but I couldn't face the thought of re-reading that tomb too.
Despite all the Epicness, the actual prose is well writen, the characters detailed and alive and the plot interesting. But I'd prefer a 500pg summary instead.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sereq_ieh_dashret
Most epic and nail-biting downer ending. Coltaine is The Man.
LibraryThing member clong
Wow! I thought Gardens of the Moon was a strong, if at times quite confusing, start to what looked to be a promising series; Deadhouse Gates absolutely blew me away.
Dark, powerful, and complex, with flawed heroes and (at least in some cases) sympathetic villains. Coltraine and the Chain of Dogs
Don't bother reading this if you're looking for light escapism and fairy tale endings. I thought that this was the best fantasy I had read since A Storm of Swords, and perhaps it's even better than that.
When I finished it I was worried that it would be hard for the subsequent volumes to live up to the standard set by this second book in the series; I am happy to report that they have!
Dark, powerful, and complex, with flawed heroes and (at least in some cases) sympathetic villains. Coltraine and the Chain of Dogs
Show More
plotline may be the most compelling of several plotlines, but they all have something to offer, and you have a sense that Erikson is taking each story somewhere. Don't bother reading this if you're looking for light escapism and fairy tale endings. I thought that this was the best fantasy I had read since A Storm of Swords, and perhaps it's even better than that.
When I finished it I was worried that it would be hard for the subsequent volumes to live up to the standard set by this second book in the series; I am happy to report that they have!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Narilka
Deadhouse Gates is the second book in Erikson's epic Malazan Book of the Fallen series. We pick up after Gardens of the Moon with an initially confusing tale a half a world away. At the end of book 1, there was worry about something called the Pannion Seer. This is not the Seer's story, which I
The continent of the Seven Cities was one of the first conquered by the Empress and the Malazan Empire. This has not sat well with the natives. As the Empire has expanded and the Empress' attention is focused elsewhere, the natives rise up to overthrow the Malazan rule. At the heart of the revolution is the prophesied Whirlwind in the Holy Desert. We see all aspects of this bloody war along the way: hysterical fanatics; fleeing refugees and their protectors; uneasy alliances; the birth of legends.
Like book 1, Deadhouse Gates follows a large cast of characters. There are a few familiar faces and even more new ones. The scope is vast. At any one time we're following up to six story threads in alternating sections. Sometimes all six in one chapter, sometimes only a couple. Erikson has an amazing talent for writing battles, right up there with George R. R. Martin and Tolkien. This book is a hard read but very rewarding once you reach the end.
Show More
believe happens in book 3. Instead this story follows a small group of characters that have traveled east across the sea to the Seven Cities with only a few hints to what's going on back on the other side of the world.The continent of the Seven Cities was one of the first conquered by the Empress and the Malazan Empire. This has not sat well with the natives. As the Empire has expanded and the Empress' attention is focused elsewhere, the natives rise up to overthrow the Malazan rule. At the heart of the revolution is the prophesied Whirlwind in the Holy Desert. We see all aspects of this bloody war along the way: hysterical fanatics; fleeing refugees and their protectors; uneasy alliances; the birth of legends.
Like book 1, Deadhouse Gates follows a large cast of characters. There are a few familiar faces and even more new ones. The scope is vast. At any one time we're following up to six story threads in alternating sections. Sometimes all six in one chapter, sometimes only a couple. Erikson has an amazing talent for writing battles, right up there with George R. R. Martin and Tolkien. This book is a hard read but very rewarding once you reach the end.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Steph2472
Not sure I like this series...it is a lot of work to read, but heading now for book 3 so we will see how that one goes...
LibraryThing member finalcut
I really enjoyed Deadhouse Gates even though at times it was a little slow. It, along with the third book, Memories of Ice, serve as a great bridge into the later books. I highly recommend it
LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
Deadhouse Gates is stunning - and not just as a blunt weapon. It takes the worldbuilding done in the first book, introduces mostly new characters and situations, and proceeds to lay out some of the most emotionally wrenching scenes I've ever encountered in a fantasy novel - or any novel, for that
My hazy memories suggest that none of the later volumes ever top this one; even if so, that leaves a lot of room for excellent work.
Show More
matter. The worldbuilding never stops, and a good chunk of the thousand pages is setup for the volumes to come, but the Chain of Dogs alone is worth reading the book for - not to mention Icarium and Mappo, the most touching and tragic star-crossed friends ever written, and the nearly unbearable fall of Felisin.My hazy memories suggest that none of the later volumes ever top this one; even if so, that leaves a lot of room for excellent work.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Luck
A great series of books. I cannot wait for the next one.
LibraryThing member dgold
Glorious epic fantasy, this book does it all. I wept openly, laughed aloud, in short I gave myself up completely to Erikson's creation. The tale of Coltaine and the Chain of Dogs, the terrible consequences of complete civil breakdown, it all is perfectly realised in every way. From the grand sweep
As is Erikson's wont, there is just so much more in this book, far too much to go into. But the Wickans! the Wickans!
Show More
of battle sequences to the earth-shattering simplicity of the phrase "Children are dying". As is Erikson's wont, there is just so much more in this book, far too much to go into. But the Wickans! the Wickans!
Show Less
LibraryThing member majkia
As with the previous Malazan books, Erikson is no slouch at showing the horrors of war. And in pointing out who the true victims are.
He highlights the deceit and treachery on all sides and spares no one. What seems to be a fairly straightforward plan invariably turns into utter chaos once the plan
The quest for power and ascendancy pause for none, grinding the best into dust even as the worst seem to always survive.
You'll find no easy answers, no satisfying outcomes here. Look elsewhere for that sort of comfort.
He highlights the deceit and treachery on all sides and spares no one. What seems to be a fairly straightforward plan invariably turns into utter chaos once the plan
Show More
is put into motion. And the enemy turns out to be not at all what you believe, or even, quite often, who you believe it to be.The quest for power and ascendancy pause for none, grinding the best into dust even as the worst seem to always survive.
You'll find no easy answers, no satisfying outcomes here. Look elsewhere for that sort of comfort.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
Unfortunately, the 2nd book in this series really isn't better than the first. It might be worse. Just when things got resolved (a tiny bit) in the first book, this book starts out with entirely new characters, a whole major new plot line, and the same amount of confusing interference from gods and
Where this book does succeed is its 'epicness', it does have its epic moments and events. Where it fails again, just like the first one, is that the plot is completely obscure. What are the gods doing? Where is this going? What are Soletaken and D'ivers and why are they doing whatever it is they are doing? What's an Azath and why does anyone care? So many key plot elements with no explanation, no reason for being, nothing. There is no sense of where this series is going at all, which makes it really hard to care about, just reading to see who lives and who dies is not worth it. As others have pointed out the characters are flat and mostly the same, so it is hard to care about any of them too. This was just too long to make the effort worthwhile.
Show More
monsters as the first book - but more so. New creatures are introduced, playing major roles, but again they aren't explained at all. What the heck is a trell anyway? Some sort of troll? Where this book does succeed is its 'epicness', it does have its epic moments and events. Where it fails again, just like the first one, is that the plot is completely obscure. What are the gods doing? Where is this going? What are Soletaken and D'ivers and why are they doing whatever it is they are doing? What's an Azath and why does anyone care? So many key plot elements with no explanation, no reason for being, nothing. There is no sense of where this series is going at all, which makes it really hard to care about, just reading to see who lives and who dies is not worth it. As others have pointed out the characters are flat and mostly the same, so it is hard to care about any of them too. This was just too long to make the effort worthwhile.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JanW.B1
Deadhouse Gates, by Steven Erikson, is the second book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen. The story follows the events of an uprising on the Seven Cities, telling it through the eyes of different characters with different objectives. Kalam, who appeared in the first book, is on a task to kill
This book was most definetely a change from the first one. The first book slowly built up the story and characters in the first half. This one starts with action straight off the bat. This book is a great example of how intertwining storylines can really help a story. While some stories I liked more than others, I cannnot say I was ever bored. My favorite storyline was Duiker's, it's just too bad he had to die. Great book, most definetely deserves 5 stars.
Show More
Empress Laseen, in the end confronting her, getting to know what her reasons were for what she did. After a while, Kalam finds out that she wasn't really there; whereas he decides not to continue the hunt and instead settle dwon with Minala. Fiddler, also from the first book and also on a mission to kill the Empress, travels with Apsalar and Crokus, both from the first book, to bring back Apsalar to her father. They use the Deadhouse Gates to meet up with Kalam, where they all make some deal with Shadowthrone (who is actually the Emperor Kellanved); Fiddler joins the Malazan force supposed to put down the rebellion; Crokus, Apsalar and Apsalar's father settle down on the Kanese coast; and Kalam and Minala take care of orphaned children. Duiker, an Imperial historian, is with Coltaine's army, which is trying to escort thousands of Malazan civilians to Aren, while being attacked by the rebels. Duiker and the refugees make it, but Coltaine and his army are trapped outside the walls and die. Duiker and most of the Aren army are crucified after their Fist foolishly tries to destroy the besieging force but is instead trapped himself and has his army surrender. Mappo, a Trell, and Icarium, a Jaghut, are traveling through the desert. Icarium has lost his memory, but Mappo knows that Icarium possesses a rage that can be stopped by nothing, so Mappo tries to protect him. They meet Fiddler, Crokus, and Apsalar along their journey, with Icarium getting to know who he really is but losing his memory again. Finally, Heboric and Felisin, an ex-priest of Fener and a nobleborn, escape from a prisoner camp and try to survive the desert. Felisin eventually becomes Sha' ik, the leader of the Rebellion(a.k.a. the Whirlwind). This book was most definetely a change from the first one. The first book slowly built up the story and characters in the first half. This one starts with action straight off the bat. This book is a great example of how intertwining storylines can really help a story. While some stories I liked more than others, I cannnot say I was ever bored. My favorite storyline was Duiker's, it's just too bad he had to die. Great book, most definetely deserves 5 stars.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AshleyMiller
Even though I struggled reading Gardens of the Moon, I am glad I read this book. I thought Deadhouse Gates was a fantastic read! It was very complex and long, yet still interesting and engaging. I can’t decide which book of the series is my favorite so far; they’re just so good. I just have to
As in the previous book, the plot is very complex and there are many different events occurring throughout the novel. I thought the pace was absolutely perfect; however there were some parts I wasn’t as engaged in as I was in others, and that is just because I thought it was uninteresting at that time. I also liked following certain groups of characters more because their part of the story was more exciting. I also didn’t have as hard of a time understanding what was going on throughout the book. I think I am starting to become more familiar with Erikson’s world and his writing style.
The detail within this book is indescribable! I can’t believe how well Erikson can write and the emotions he can portray. Some of the scenes in the book were almost too horrible to read because you can just picture what the characters are seeing and feeling; really empathize with them. Just….wow! I felt the same way with his previous novel.
Also, with a novel of this size I was greatly impressed that there was no repetition from the previous novel. I hope this continues with the others. There are many other fantasy books that would be a lot shorter if everything that was restated was taken out. The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is a great example of an irritating writing style.
Erikson made character swaps in this book, so we follow a few new characters and some old ones. The others are left for the next book I think. There are tons of characters in the book, but I think it’s important to pay special attention to some of them and there were some I enjoyed more than others.
There are several different threads we are following and the one I found most interesting was with Felisin (Paran’s sister from Gardens of the Moon), Heboric (ex priest and exiled historian) and Baudin who is their companion. I loved following their story because it was exciting and the characters are all very interesting.
The next group of characters are familiar to us. Fiddler, Crokus, Apsalar, and Kalam. There character building was awesome as well and there story. I loved learning more about them and having them become characters who I care about. Kalam separates from the group to go on his own mission and he finds Apt, whom I love! I had some major anxiety at the end of the book with Kalam and his mission. So exciting!
There are also Icarium (Jaghut), Mappo (his Trell companion), and Iskaral Pust who is a High Priest of Shadow. I found their story to be the least interesting of all of the threads. I’m not really sure why exactly. It’s hard to say. I just enjoyed the other groups so much more and not a lot seemed to happen with this group. However, they are important to the story and I loved the relationship between Icarium and Mappo!
There is also Duiker who is a historian. His story wasn’t very interesting at first, but by the end of the book I really liked him as a character and there are some things that happen with him that just left me horrified. I suppose his story wasn’t too interesting for me because it involved a lot of military tactics and the like because he travels with Coltaine’s army. There is just a point when I can’t read about battle strategies, etc. anymore. However, these battles are well described and towards the end left me speechless.
Some other important characters include Coltaine, who you get to know quite well through Duiker, and Korbolo Dom and Kamist Reloe who are opposing Coltaine. You don’t get to read from the point of view of Korbolo or Kamist so you don’t get to know them too well, but they are important characters.
I think that if I re-read the book I would enjoy the characters even more knowing what I know now and pick up on some things I might have missed. I have read many reviews and the people who re-read these books get ALOT more out of them the second time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to start the next one. Just like Gardens of the Moon this book is pretty much a self-contained story, but it still helps to read the previous book. Even though it does have a pseudo ending, I believe you will be looking forward to reading the next novel. I think because this series is so complex I should just read them all back to back if I can. Better that way because I won’t forget what was going on. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is such an amazing series so far and is written by an author who has some major talent. I highly recommend reading the series even if you don’t like complex plots. There are tons of summaries available to help you understand. Anyone who loves fantasy books such as The Black Company and Game of Thrones will love these books!
Show More
keep reading to find out if one really jumps out at me even more!As in the previous book, the plot is very complex and there are many different events occurring throughout the novel. I thought the pace was absolutely perfect; however there were some parts I wasn’t as engaged in as I was in others, and that is just because I thought it was uninteresting at that time. I also liked following certain groups of characters more because their part of the story was more exciting. I also didn’t have as hard of a time understanding what was going on throughout the book. I think I am starting to become more familiar with Erikson’s world and his writing style.
The detail within this book is indescribable! I can’t believe how well Erikson can write and the emotions he can portray. Some of the scenes in the book were almost too horrible to read because you can just picture what the characters are seeing and feeling; really empathize with them. Just….wow! I felt the same way with his previous novel.
Also, with a novel of this size I was greatly impressed that there was no repetition from the previous novel. I hope this continues with the others. There are many other fantasy books that would be a lot shorter if everything that was restated was taken out. The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is a great example of an irritating writing style.
Erikson made character swaps in this book, so we follow a few new characters and some old ones. The others are left for the next book I think. There are tons of characters in the book, but I think it’s important to pay special attention to some of them and there were some I enjoyed more than others.
There are several different threads we are following and the one I found most interesting was with Felisin (Paran’s sister from Gardens of the Moon), Heboric (ex priest and exiled historian) and Baudin who is their companion. I loved following their story because it was exciting and the characters are all very interesting.
The next group of characters are familiar to us. Fiddler, Crokus, Apsalar, and Kalam. There character building was awesome as well and there story. I loved learning more about them and having them become characters who I care about. Kalam separates from the group to go on his own mission and he finds Apt, whom I love! I had some major anxiety at the end of the book with Kalam and his mission. So exciting!
There are also Icarium (Jaghut), Mappo (his Trell companion), and Iskaral Pust who is a High Priest of Shadow. I found their story to be the least interesting of all of the threads. I’m not really sure why exactly. It’s hard to say. I just enjoyed the other groups so much more and not a lot seemed to happen with this group. However, they are important to the story and I loved the relationship between Icarium and Mappo!
There is also Duiker who is a historian. His story wasn’t very interesting at first, but by the end of the book I really liked him as a character and there are some things that happen with him that just left me horrified. I suppose his story wasn’t too interesting for me because it involved a lot of military tactics and the like because he travels with Coltaine’s army. There is just a point when I can’t read about battle strategies, etc. anymore. However, these battles are well described and towards the end left me speechless.
Some other important characters include Coltaine, who you get to know quite well through Duiker, and Korbolo Dom and Kamist Reloe who are opposing Coltaine. You don’t get to read from the point of view of Korbolo or Kamist so you don’t get to know them too well, but they are important characters.
I think that if I re-read the book I would enjoy the characters even more knowing what I know now and pick up on some things I might have missed. I have read many reviews and the people who re-read these books get ALOT more out of them the second time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to start the next one. Just like Gardens of the Moon this book is pretty much a self-contained story, but it still helps to read the previous book. Even though it does have a pseudo ending, I believe you will be looking forward to reading the next novel. I think because this series is so complex I should just read them all back to back if I can. Better that way because I won’t forget what was going on. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is such an amazing series so far and is written by an author who has some major talent. I highly recommend reading the series even if you don’t like complex plots. There are tons of summaries available to help you understand. Anyone who loves fantasy books such as The Black Company and Game of Thrones will love these books!
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
SF Site Reader's Choice (2000)
SF Site Editor's Choice (2000)
Chesley Award (Nominee — 2013)
Locus Recommended Reading (2000)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2000-09-01
Physical description
6.84 inches
ISBN
0765348799 / 9780765348791