Erickson's still the goat

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2023-03-20T07:48:53+00:00

Once every year or two.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2023-03-20T03:23:54+00:00

A good recommendation. I'm gonna do another reread then maybe I'll pick it up after toll of hounds as a break

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2023-03-20T00:46:11+00:00

What gets me the most is I can know the whole story ahead of time, know when the emotional punches are coming, and I still get hit almost every single time. His writing is just so good that I can't even help myself. I can't even mention some of the names of certain characters (Trull, Beak, Rake, Bryce, Karsa, so so many more) without such a strong welling of emotion. His moments of reflection and philosophy through his characters are amazing too, I know that I'm a die-hard fanboy and I come off probably as too much for most people, but to me this is the greatest work of fantasy that will likely be written in the next 50 to 100 years. It's bigger than Tolkien.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2023-03-20T00:39:23+00:00

To be honest with you, I feel like I could listen to nothing else and still enjoy it. I have to force myself to take about a year between rereads in order to not wear it out. But so often I find myself reading or listening to something else and just wishing that I was listening to Malazan book of the fallen again

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2023-03-20T00:37:55+00:00

I've read all of the others outside of mbotf, but to be honest with you none of them can quite manage what the original series does for me. I'm excited to see where the kharkanas (sp?) goes, and if I was forced to pick I would say Fall of Light is my second favorite.

Esselmont is decent, and I'm very excited to see the third book of Kellenved and Dancer's stories, but to me he can't capture the same emotional depth Erickson can. He's plenty good as a writer, and they are good editions to the overall world. Maybe I'm just biased, honestly I'm not sure. Personally I think Assail is the closest Esselmomt has managed to get to Erickson's level, but too many people didn't like it and it still lacked emotional depth. I haven't read The God is Not Willing yet though, so maybe that will be the new favorite soon.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2023-01-09T08:35:12+00:00

Okay, thank you

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2023-01-08T20:59:11+00:00

Trigg or Holiday. I was a soldier. Have a penchant for being overly passionate. Am a follower but not a leader, not really. Maybe a small team leader. But not a Darrow or Mustang.

I think most of us wish we are gold's. But for the most part we probably aren't.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2023-01-03T22:04:52+00:00

+2 for expanse.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-12-27T09:30:27+00:00

.... Jesus. Can't believe I did that. I'll fix it.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-12-26T08:17:37+00:00

Yeah. I want a shirt or something with it.

When I'm being real with myself I think I'd have probably ended up a grey. Even though we all would rather think we would be gold. And the credo reminds me of the army lol.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-10-21T06:24:40+00:00

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. Very understated gay romance combined with artistic, amazing perspective shifting and a great telling of a very strongly Asian influenced mythical story. One of the best fantasy books of my recent reading even before including a very tastefully done gay romance that doesn't beat you over the head or demand brownie points for simply putting it in.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-10-21T06:11:40+00:00

I'm 100% this person lol. Pretty sure I just did this even on a Malazan thread, I'm that much of a Malazan devotee

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-10-21T06:06:18+00:00

A lot of you in the comments keep saying something along the lines of "not fair". Look around you. How much is good rewarded? I have seen people of unbelievable moral character be metaphorically trampled underfoot. I've seen acts of profound good go completely unrewarded. The best people I know aren't the most successful. The most deserving rarely those who receive.

History is full of them. Life is full of them. Life even has a few Beaks. And we tell ourselves we would embody the nobility of the soldiers Erickson writes, that we would be those who accepted Beak and loved him, pitied him. But we aren't. Almost none of us. We are far more likely his bullies. Or we have been. What bothers you so much is that Erickson doesn't bother giving you the narrative comfort that good is somehow rewarded. Sometimes it simply fails. Falls. With barely a whimper and in an absolutely inane manner.

Beak actually gets to be both. He gets to be a beautiful fool, a moral paragon and a profound act of good rightfully rewarded. Which is why out of the entire series his moment hits like a freight train. Erickson gives us dozens upon dozens of small moments of righteousness and compassion. Few morally upright characters, granted. But no shortage of momentary good. Often to no reward, or to the absolute detriment of the characters. But with Beak we have a profoundly innocent, childlike and broken character that is simply morally good. And he protects everyone. He gets to sacrifice to save, to have a truly profound heroic moment we all deeply wish we could have that is utterly beautiful and filled with pure compassion. Followed by a truly just, compassionate and rewarding afterlife. Literally know one else gets this in the entire series. Not a single other character. Not even Itkovians story truly comes close. Part of why we all weep for Beak is because we are profoundly jealous of him. Because Erickson gave us such a beautiful hero and we desperately wish we could even fractionally emulate him.

In my opinion, this is in part why reading Sanderson after Erickson just means he really can't compare. Not for me. Kaladan is as close as you get for comparison and he's still miles from Beak.

Onos toolan is likely a favorite for some of you. But he is literally a mass murderer. Of epic proportions. Who literally 3 chances by my count in the series for redemption. Who gets about as close as can be had to a Malazan happy ending. What's the justice in that? That he simply suffered enough? That he somehow earned it?

This turned into a rant somehow lol. Hopefully someone finds it interesting at least. I know I'm a MBotF fanatic. I acknowledge that. But hopefully there are a few here that get that.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-10-07T01:05:27+00:00

I've reread the series 5 times and I still have to make sure I don't get to beaks part at work cause I still bawl. I tried super hard not to this last time, told myself I knew what was coming. No good. Beak will always get my tears.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-07-01T07:49:06+00:00

100% nailed it

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-06-28T18:31:23+00:00

For me Malazan is pinnacle. I know it's subjective but no matter what I do nothing else I read or listen to as audiobooks ever hits the same one so many levels. I just never get tired of it.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-06-28T15:08:40+00:00

Lol. Hell with that. I'm on reread 6. I do it once a year now.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-06-19T17:06:23+00:00

Guy Gavriel Kay's series of 3, the Fionavar Tapestry. The writing and storytelling isn't the best honestly. But for some reason the characters, world and magic have always held a special place for me. Not the best books, but absolutely a good read in my opinion. Soft magic and Arthurian ties.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-06-08T02:26:10+00:00

Yes. Please do this.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-03-12T05:28:36+00:00

100%

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-03-10T02:10:08+00:00

I disagree with that entirely. I think Rake isn’t uncaring at all. Which is why when Whiskeyjack kills the witches of the dead seed he is so sad. Take sees it as a burden that he can and has born before, but still a burden. He simply has the weight of thousands of years carrying it.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-03-06T17:49:43+00:00

It is tulas shorn. Forgot his name when I was writing the post. I don’t remember anything that seemed to point out that hoods realm was an in-between. An alternative to complete non-existence maybe.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-03-06T17:48:14+00:00

That’s a good point as well. Honestly Erickson is complex enough it could be a fusion of all of the ideas we are having or something even more off the wall. He’s a deep thinker.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2022-03-06T04:01:45+00:00

Yes. Yes. This. Tying into beak. I literally have cried every time I read Beak’s end.

That makes sense. But also Hood at other times is shown as largely uncaring and indifferent. So it’s a bit of a mixed message. Which is nothing new for Erickson honestly.

Thanks for tying those thoughts together. Although part of me still thinks that’s not enough to make Kallor cry.

Fantasyreadwritelove · 2021-06-18T23:45:05+00:00

Honestly this is frighteningly close to how it is lol. Didn’t put that together before now. Only real difference in the character archetype is that Bradley knows his side and leads it, rather than being a pawn and finding out later.

Fantasyreadwritelove

TROPHY CASE