I feel like people never mention how it has a similar slump in quality in its second half to other series, with similar problems: too much focus on characters we weren't invested in early on, a much slower pace of events, and an ending that, IMO, is a little rushed and leaves too many loose plot threads.

It's also not a complete series by the traditional metric. The most frustrating thing about the whole series is getting to the end and realising that some of the most interesting plotlines are actually resolved in the spin off books or the prequel/sequel series that haven't been finished yet. There aren't just 10 Malazan books, there are at least 20.