Mass Market Paperback, 666 pages
English language
Published Nov. 4, 2005
Dark forces gather in the Malazan Empire as Empress Laseen, malevolent ruler, turns her attention to Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, and Sergeant Whiskeyjack and Tattersail recover from the siege of Pale.
(Does putting zero stars count as the worst score?)
This is sort of a review (and more) of the magic in the series. I wrote it after finishing the third book (Memories of Ice) because that's when a lot of my thoughts on it crystalized, but the review is only using stuff from this book.
a-blog-with.relevant-information.com/posts/unabstracted_magic/
Reads like book three of a litrpg series. Names, places, and concepts all pile on with no background or explanation. Lots of contradictions.
This book takes about 400 pages to get going. There's a lot of tedious inner life pseudo-philosophy and nonsensical name-dropping. It get really good in the last 100 pages(!) which, along with promises from friends that the series is worth it made me keep going.
If you ever get the impulse to skim parts of this book as you read, you should go right ahead and indulge it.
