My Appreciation for The Malazan Book of the Fallen

I have recently started reading a series of books called The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson, as recommended by a really good friend. It is a 10 (yes 10!) book series about, well so far I am thinking it is mostly about the fall of a fantasy empire and the peoples' Gods and Goddesses and the wars that occur along the way, but seeing how I am only on book 3 that may change!

I have always been a lover of fantasy and sci-fi novels as a kid but on going to university I have not had much time to do any personal reading, what with all the other reading I am *meant* to be doing for my course, so it is really refreshing to actually start reading something for the sheer fun of it. I am so enjoying these books and the writer's skill that I often send my friend 4 page texts exclaiming how much I am enjoying them so I decided to stop bombarding him and start bombarding you!

(*warning possible spoilers!*)

I think for now, instead of doing individual book reviews (which I hope to get on to later) I am just going to dedicate this blog to praising the genius that is Steven Erikson!  (that guy up there ^^). As I said earlier most of the books so far are engaged in a lot of battles between the Empire's armies and their allies/enemies, often focusing on the wonderful squadron known as the Bridgeburners lead by the legendary Whiskeyjack. So far the third book, Memories of Ice, is basically all about a siege of a city up against a really really horrible army where the commander just leaves the peasant part of his army (the Tenescowri) alone, doesn't feed them or anything so when they reach the other armies they eat them... but not before the women rape the dead or dying soldiers to create 'Children of the Dead Seed'. But what I love about Erikson is some parts of the book are truly horrible, such as the Tenescowri, but his writing allows such horrors to mostly be created within the mind of the reader. He does not burden the reader with over the top gory details. (ok one MASSIVE exception in the second book where he describes how a village has been destroyed with the men being killed by having their intestines ripped out and the women being raped and then strangled by their husbands intestinal cords...). One bit that I both love and hate in the book, is where one of the characters gets raped in the middle of battle, but instead of describing the actual rape scene, which some writers would do, he simples has the character refer to it discretely whilst she is talking about how she killed someone:



"A Seerdomin found me-" another jolt ran through her. "But the bastard left me alive. So I hunted him down. Come on, let's move!" She snapped her main gauche back at * as they hurried on, spraying his chest and face with bile and watery shit. "I carved him inside out, and damn if he didn't beg." She spat. "Didn't work for me - why should it have for him? What a fool... a pathetic, whimpering..."
Hurrying in her wake, it was a moment before * understood what she was saying. ' p. 551


I love it because of the way in which Erikson puts across the horror of what has happened, and I hate it because I am so engaged by the character that I hate what has happened to her. The characters then proceed in the only way is truly possible after such an event has happened, even in the middle of a siege, she does not bare her burden and horror in a macho butch gruff 'I am a solider!' way but in a human way and  consequently breaks down for a short amount of time. As her character, up until that point, had been so strong and rough it comes as more of a shock and you share the pain that both characters go through upon realising what has been lost in battle that they are trapped in.


Another thing I love about Erikson is he is able to keep the story fresh and engaging despite being simply about war and the tactics of the leaders and then the actual fighting. I love Tolkien, he is simply amazing, however his battle scenes in Lord of the Rings can get quite boring, so I am impressed that Erikson is able to keep me engaged for all of it (so far). Also another comparison I can make is to Game of Thrones. I am aware that the televised version is massively sexed up compared to the book, and I haven't actually read the book myself so am simply going on what people have said, but Erikson does not 'crass his book up' with unnecessary sex scenes. In fact as far as I can remember there are no described sex scenes, you are informed of sex between the characters or it is implied but the actual act of sex is not included. Another of my favourite bits in Memories of Ice is where one character informs the other that they will be having sex tonight:
"Fighting," Gruntle muttered. "What you enjoy the most"
"yes, but for now I would ride you."
Ride? More like batter me senseless. Ah well... "what man would say no to such an elegant offer?"
Collecting her bed roll in both hands, Hentan rose. "Follow me, and hurry"
"Alas" he replied, slowly gaining his feet, "I never hurry, as you're about to discover"
"tomorrow night I shall ride your friend"
"You're doing so tonight, dear, in his dreams."
She nodded seriously, "he has big hands"
p. 262
Produced much amusement in my immature mind. If only it were so easy! haha

But yes here ends my small, well quite large, appreciation of Erikson and the Books of the Fallen. I will no doubt post more later on!

Malazan Book of the Fallen - Wikipedia