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

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What I liked about he history of Ehriltan and Jen’rahb, beyond the accretion of history and civilization, was how Erikson gives us the history, and then a story with the history (Jen-rahb “shrugging” and killing tens of thousands in the collapse), and then (and this is my favorite part), a human story within the story—the young cook’s helper who thought his dropping the beaker had caused it all and stabbed himself in the heart.

Deadhouse Gates continues the Malazan Book of the Fallen, a story begun in the wonderful Gardens of the Moon.Here we have two factors—the first is that Duiker (a man who seems to have good common sense and an appreciation of Seven Cities’ culture) genuinely believes the Malazan Empire won’t defeat Seven Cities. The second is that Duiker really is a subversive element! Did someone mention skulking in shadows? Because this guy is just awesome at it. Mebra is yet another minion of the Apocalypse, and is about as trustworthy as you’d expect someone with a name that sounds a bit like “cobra” to be. His warnings to the High Command seemed to be falling on deaf ears. There were patterns in these symbols, and it seemed that he alone among all the Malazans had any interest in breaking the code, or even in recognizing the risks of maintaining an outsider’s indifference. Gardens of the Moon introduced us to the concept of the Soletaken when Anomander Rake veered into his draconian form. Surely nothing could be more terrifying than facing an opponent with the power to transform at will into something truly monstrous. Right?

The story we get of how Bult got his scars and how Dujek lost his arm. (A world filled with stories and history and people that cross and recross over time.) And you’re right, Amanda, a horse isn’t exactly the story we all filled in that missing limb with, I’m guessing. The Seventh were falling, and falling, using naught but flesh and bone to shield their leaders - the ones who had led them across a continent, to die now, almost within the shadow of Aren's high walls. Those Two Guys: Gesler and Stormy, members of the Malazan Coast Guard. They spend most of the book fighting each other Like an Old Married Couple, but are still frighteningly competent. Even when they encounter a ship crewed by decapitated Tiste Edur, are accidentally made into Ascendants when they stumble into a Warren, smuggle a party of Imperial Fugitives off a prison island, find Coltaine by sailing the undead galley through magical dimensions, and continue to bully one another through the Apocalypse all the way to Aren's harbor. And this doesn't take into account the shenanigans they get up to for the rest of the series. The Reveal: A major one pertaining to the Myth Arc: Shadowthrone and Cotillion, the new lords of the Realm of Shadow, are actually the old Emperor Kellanved and his personal assassin Dancer, who were murdered by Laseen years prior to the start of the series. Their violent deaths were actually their steppingstone to godhood, but that's not common knowledge until Fiddler figures it out in Deadhouse Gates, although a couple of hints are dropped previously in Gardens of the Moon. You’re probably thinking that this all sounds very impressive. In which case, the less said about the small, monkey-like bhoka’rala who worship and harangue Pust, the better. CotillionDuiker realises way before Kulp what Coltaine intends with the new exercises he is forcing the Seventh army through. I am being very dense though because I can’t work out which Malazan refugees it would be—from the rebellion that is expected? [Bill’s interjection: See, not so dense!]

Pust tells Mappo to kill any spiders he sees. Mappo has been healed by Pust/Servant, though he won’t completely accept it until two moon cycles has passed and with them the danger of the lycanthropy that a Soletaken/D’iver’s woundings can cause. Mappo goes to join Icarium in Pust’s library, which he’s populated with books he’s stolen from the “great library of the world.” If anyone thought Felisin, as the young frightened noble girl faced with such extreme horror in the Prologue was going to find her way to a better life before being directly harmed, that cold first line tells us this is not going to be a happy storyline. And the last line of that paragraph drives it home: “You’ll learn to like it, girl.” (Note the reminder to us she is, in fact, only a girl) But then Erikson takes us even further into despair by showing us Felisin’s new bitter wisdom: “I will” and how this act of rape has become merely business: “Does he get a day of rest?” This is a bitterly icy and dark opening to this plot strand (and fair warning—it doesn’t sunny up). Coltaine guided thirty thousand refugees from Hissar to Aren. It was impossible, but that’s what he did. He saved those ungrateful bastards and his reward was to get butchered not five hundred paces from the city’s gate. No-one helped him…” All in all, Deadhouse Gates was a tour de force. I honestly don’t see how Erikson can improve on this in later volumes, but I’m chafing at the bit now to go and find out! Simply tremendous! And now, for your amusement, confusion, and pleasure, introducing Iskaral Pust—one of this series’ greatest creations: The Man. The Priest. The Mule owner.

Fiddler grimaced. “Confusing times for us all. We’ve been outlawed by Laseen, but does that make us any less soldiers of the Empire? Malaz isn’t the Empress and the Empress isn’t Malaz-” The Malazan army reaches Raraku, and witnesses the disintegration of the rebel forces amidst several betrayals. An armoured Felisin is liberated from the control of the Whirlwind Goddess, but goes unrecognised by her sister and is tragically killed by her. The Malazan forces are also assisted by a ghostly army of Bridgeburners, who have achieved a state of ascendancy, and the desert of Raraku is flooded. Leoman escapes with the remnants of the rebel forces, while Karsa departs on his own journey. Anti-Climax: After a bloody journey across the continents and through other dimensions, Kalam finally reaches the Empress to assassinate her. They talk it out. And she wasn't really there anyway.

Weakened by events in Darujhistan, the Malazan Empire teeters on the brink of anarchy. In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha'ik gathers an army around her in preparation for the long-prophesied uprising named the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in its size and savagery, it will embroil in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known: a maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust that will shape destinies and give birth to legends... During the following night, the pair rest in some ruins in the Odhan, and Icarium notes tiny claw marks around the bottom of many of the pillars. They mention that this is most likely Gryllen, a D'ivers rats. A gathering is approaching, as shape shifters – D’ivers and Soletaken both – follow “The Path” believing it leads to ascendancy. Icarium wants to follow them as he hopes that the pathway might help him recover his lost memories. They are then approached by Ryllandaras – another D’ivers – this one in the form of six desert wolves. Ryllandaras toys with them, until he discovers their identity, at which point he asks their permission to continue hunting the Aptorian demon. He mentions that he has never heard of Sha’ik, but Icarium and Mappo agree he will soon.As for her virginity, that’s a one-time sale and chances are, it wasn’t going to be bought. This way she gets multiple favors and can use it as the currency it is for her. Ugh, rape. What an ugly start to a chapter. I mean, I know that Felisin is in a bad place, but why is rape or forced penetration always used as a way to represent the ugly side of people? Although is it a good question as to whether this is rape at all? After all, Felisin has chosen to use her body as currency—and yet she does not really have a choice. Or does she? Whichever way you look at it, I don’t like the idea—it makes me deeply uncomfortable. Mappo and Icarium’s quest also sets them upon the Path of Hands, whereupon they (handily) cross paths with Crokus and Co. Less handy is the fact that hundreds of others are following the Path, too . . .