I've read half of the #MalazanBookOfTheFallen series, and have now collected my thoughts on them here: https://a-blog-with.relevant-information.com/posts/a_malazan_halfway_retrospective/

It's organized by book and spoilers are hidden so you can safely read it even if you haven't read them all.

#Malazan

Man it's really interesting that Erikson and Esselmont decided to make Lethar, the capitalist imperialist country, be a backwaters society that's backwards and not with the times. Otherwise it's common to think that the western society of today (that's pretty similar to Lethar) is the one that has progressed the most. But here we are, with Lethar being only aware of the old and less refined Holds.

#Malazan #MalazanBookOfTheFallen

> He [...] had made discoveries along the way—so much to think about, in fact, that his mind was numb, besieged by all that he had learned.

Me too Cotillion, me too.
#Malazan #MalazanBookOfTheFallen

Was Erikson horny when writing this chapter or what? The amount of "womanly charms" and "manly desires" in this chapter startling.

More generally, that Erikson says that Malazan is a world without sexism is weird to me. It is better than a lot that is out there, but I don't think sexism is fully absent.

#Malazan #MalazanBookOfTheFallen

I got Bonehunters from the library today. This edition's cover has a very whimsical vibe to it that clashes with the tone of the series, but on the other hand it has maps that are large enough that I can actually read them.

#Malazan #MalazanBookOfTheFallen

One thing that really appeals to me about the #MalazanBookOfTheFallen is that often it feels like it doesn't take a moral stance or tell the reader how to feel. It just asks you to observe, the often harrowing things happening, and take in all the feelings that are felt by the characters without abstracting them into simple moral judgments.

#AmReading #Books

Now I'm even more sure. Wythal prayed to Mael in chapter 16, and then in chapter 17 Bugg hears someone calling his name.

#MalazanBookOfTheFallen

I'm calling it, Bugg is Mael, or connected to Mael like Kruppe is to K'rul.

No spoilers in replies please.

#MalazanBookOfTheFallen #Malazan

I think Bugg has grown to be my favourite character in Midnight Tides

#MalazanBookOfTheFallen #Malazan

I love that Tehol Bedict's plan is literally to get so rich that it crashes the economy.

zan #MalazanBookOfTheFallen

Is this the book where Erikson discusses Modernity and western civilization in Lethar? Especially the talk about the empty throne.

#MalazanBookOfTheFallen #Malazan

"I didn't know it was possible to feel like the author gives u too much information and not enough information at the same time".

- a one-star review of #MalazanBookOfTheFallen

I agree, but in the positive way lol. I love that.

#Malazan

They didn't have Midnight Tide at the library so I borrowed The First Collected Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach instead. Love those two characters, hopefully this will be fun.

#Malazan #MalazanBookOfTheFallen

Maybe it wanted to cosplay as Joyful Union #MalazanBookOfTheFallen #Malazan

@benjaminhollon I love sci-fi and good fantasy - think #malazanbookofthefallen

I actually have « Trigger Warning - Short fictions and disturbances » by #neilgaiman to read next but in a noir reading frenzy

@polly My current favourite fantasy series is #MalazanBookOfTheFallen. It's military fantasy so might not be everyone's cup of tea. It's dark, occasionally really funny, and really moving.

One of the signatures of #StevenErikson's writing is that he really uses PoV. There are many PoV characters throughout each book, often on different sides of the same conflict which gives it some healthy moral complexity.

Haha, the #Malazan soldiers will do anything for a good gamble huh? Including finding the best way to cheat, including using the Deck of Dragons table and weird Seven Cities scorpions.

#MalazanBookOfTheFallen

@Koochulainn

Aaaand now he is starting a series on rereading #MalazanBookOfTheFallen, starting with #GardensOfTheMoon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNFvfejgS04

#malazan #mbotf #acriticaldragon

@skimgoth
I'm not sure if this is a legitimate recommendation, but #MalazanBookOfTheFallen has at least hinted on how the world was born (and what it's made of and its history) in book 3/10. I'm on book 4 only, but it seems like we will learn more. And it's good.

I feel like talking about #MalazanBookOfTheFallen today. I really like how this series does #magic, especially how tightly interwoven it is with the prose itself. It's really hard to separate the magic from the books because of the way they are written.

I wrote more about it here: https://a-blog-with.relevant-information.com/posts/unabstracted_magic/