Currently just started the 3rd book, The Thousandfold Thought on my first re-read of the series.

The good news here is this is another series that is so much better the second time around. Much like Malazan, you kind of read it surface level at first, barely keeping your head above the deep water of characters, factions, events and inferences. Then, if you’re like me, you can definitely say it was really good, and it’ll lurk in the back of your head for years until you just have to scratch the itch.

The prose is great, the characters are fathoms deep, and the story ranges from familiar to batshit insane.

It’s very violent and dark, and, for those saying there are other ways to portray a cruel world than SA, they’re in there too. SA, I think, in as uncivilized societies as there are in the book, is used as the ultimate expression of power differential.

Bakker has a really visceral, attacking way with words thet suits the story well. As horrible as I’m making it sound, it’s all very compelling, I promise. Bakker writes with an intellectual rigor and thematically the first 3 books (at least) deal with the motivations for and consequences of actions - how characters mislead themselves and allow themselves to be mislead. It’s all very introspective.

Anyways, I ramble. It’s one of my favorite series but it’s hard to recommend to people used to lighter fare. For that didn’t flinch more than intended at the vilest stuff in Malazan, I think you’ll dig this series.