[themerchant]

Skipping Assail by Esslemont but Dancers Lament is meant to be so much better, so buying that now (got insomnia) on kindle to read in the bath.

You'll love it. Esselmonts best book, by far.

my bath is running... Yeah it has really good reviews, plus obviously got a lot of interest in the main characters, so good to hear their background, anyway better go before the bath overflows.

[Royce]

I read the 10 Erikson books and two of Esslemont. Esslemont did not impress me much though. I tried to read his books inbetween Erikson (as suggested by the malazan nerds ) but I just gave up on the second one. It almost ruined my malazan experience and it was not worth it.

I thought the series was great, but I spent so long slogging through it I kept forgetting stuff along the way, so I felt I did not really get that much out of it that I should have.

I should re read it though, but that will not happen   It is just too much.

I am currently re reading TSA for the first time, and it is such an amazing ride!  The first time I read it back in 2013 i was not really up for the challenge. It was my third fantasy series ever(GRRM and Tolkien was the first two) and I was also not used to reading English books, so I struggled to say the least.

But now... Every sentence is a feast! I am beginning to understand why this site has such a high nerd level   It is truly special in every way. It trumps malazan by far IMO.

[Kellais]

Funny how tastes differ eh? I can't really get most of the criticisms of the last two pages..especially if you are a fan of TSA. Because a lot of things that can be said about Malazan can be said about TSA.

I have to admit, lately, both authors have disappointed me. I found the latest offers of both to be ... lacking. Fun fact : the thing that you guys seem to think is Erikson's big problem was the problem for me with Bakker's latest....fucking slow and boring until the last 100 pages...but those last 100 pages...oh boy...made up for the whole slog of the first part.

I really do hope though that Bakker gets back on his feet, so to speak. I think the last book tried too hard. He talked himself in some corners with his "explanations". Anyway, this is an Erikson thread, i should talk about Bakker in the threads dedicated to his work.

[Redeagl]

Funny how tastes differ eh? I can't really get most of the criticisms of the last two pages..especially if you are a fan of TSA. Because a lot of things that can be said about Malazan can be said about TSA.

I have to admit, lately, both authors have disappointed me. I found the latest offers of both to be ... lacking. Fun fact : the thing that you guys seem to think is Erikson's big problem was the problem for me with Bakker's latest....fucking slow and boring until the last 100 pages...but those last 100 pages...oh boy...made up for the whole slog of the first part.

I really do hope though that Bakker gets back on his feet, so to speak. I think the last book tried too hard. He talked himself in some corners with his "explanations". Anyway, this is an Erikson thread, i should talk about Bakker in the threads dedicated to his work.

What did you say about TGO again?? You should have never returned from your wizard tower 

[Kellais]

Yeah, i knew that i wouldn't be welcomed back with my new views...but what i can i do...it's how i feel. Truth shines, or something

[MSJ]

I really do hope though that Bakker gets back on his feet, so to speak. I think the last book tried too hard. He talked himself in some corners with his "explanations". Anyway, this is an Erikson thread, i should talk about Bakker in the threads dedicated to his work.

Thing is, those explanations were needed, we're they not? It was one of his slower, philosophical rants, but man, packed with so much meaning. In terms of TSA as a whole, I think this book was exactly what it needed to be. TUC, I don't see being a slow burn, the panties are gonna fly across the room the entire book.

[MSJ]

I read the 10 Erikson books and two of Esslemont. Esslemont did not impress me much though. I tried to read his books inbetween Erikson (as suggested by the malazan nerds ) but I just gave up on the second one. It almost ruined my malazan experience and it was not worth it.

I thought the series was great, but I spent so long slogging through it I kept forgetting stuff along the way, so I felt I did not really get that much out of it that I should have.

I should re read it though, but that will not happen   It is just too much.

I am currently re reading TSA for the first time, and it is such an amazing ride!  The first time I read it back in 2013 i was not really up for the challenge. It was my third fantasy series ever(GRRM and Tolkien was the first two) and I was also not used to reading English books, so I struggled to say the least.

But now... Every sentence is a feast! I am beginning to understand why this site has such a high nerd level   It is truly special in every way. It trumps malazan by far IMO.

Never really cared for much of Esselmont's stuff either. But, if you don't pick up Dancer's Lament then you're missing out big time. Who doesn't want to know how the Malazan Empire came into being? It's fast, fool of action. Not the slow moral drag of his earlier works. I don't even want to touch Kirkhanas Trilogy (sp). But, when he gets around to the Toblaiki Trilogy, I'm all in. Trust give Dancer's Lament a go, you'll love it.

[Wilshire]

I read the 10 Erikson books and two of Esslemont. Esslemont did not impress me much though. I tried to read his books inbetween Erikson (as suggested by the malazan nerds ) but I just gave up on the second one. It almost ruined my malazan experience and it was not worth it.

I've heard this a lot, but really decided not to read them because Erikson alone seemed like enough Malazan for me.

I thought the series was great, but I spent so long slogging through it I kept forgetting stuff along the way, so I felt I did not really get that much out of it that I should have.

I should re read it though, but that will not happen   It is just too much.

My thoughts exactly. Its an extraordinary work, but to get full appreciation you need to pay a lot of attention, and probably read it at least twice. But, as you say, its just too much .

I am currently re reading TSA for the first time, and it is such an amazing ride!  The first time I read it back in 2013 i was not really up for the challenge. It was my third fantasy series ever(GRRM and Tolkien was the first two) and I was also not used to reading English books, so I struggled to say the least.

But now... Every sentence is a feast! I am beginning to understand why this site has such a high nerd level   It is truly special in every way. It trumps malazan by far IMO.

Oh man, I'm jealous. Reading #2 of TSA is an extraordinary experience, and it solidified Bakker/TSA as 'favorite author forever' for me.

[Royce]

I read the 10 Erikson books and two of Esslemont. Esslemont did not impress me much though. I tried to read his books inbetween Erikson (as suggested by the malazan nerds ) but I just gave up on the second one. It almost ruined my malazan experience and it was not worth it.

I thought the series was great, but I spent so long slogging through it I kept forgetting stuff along the way, so I felt I did not really get that much out of it that I should have.

I should re read it though, but that will not happen   It is just too much.

I am currently re reading TSA for the first time, and it is such an amazing ride!  The first time I read it back in 2013 i was not really up for the challenge. It was my third fantasy series ever(GRRM and Tolkien was the first two) and I was also not used to reading English books, so I struggled to say the least.

But now... Every sentence is a feast! I am beginning to understand why this site has such a high nerd level   It is truly special in every way. It trumps malazan by far IMO.

Never really cared for much of Esselmont's stuff either. But, if you don't pick up Dancer's Lament then you're missing out big time. Who doesn't want to know how the Malazan Empire came into being? It's fast, fool of action. Not the slow moral drag of his earlier works. I don't even want to touch Kirkhanas Trilogy (sp). But, when he gets around to the Toblaiki Trilogy, I'm all in. Trust give Dancer's Lament a go, you'll love it.

I need a serious Malazan break, so I am not going to read anything Malazanish in the near future. I have heard lots of good stuff about Dancer`s lament though, so I might pick it up later on.

[Kellais]

Dancer's Lament is not bad. But it's nothing to write home about. I mean if you dig the Malazan universe, you absolutely have to read it. So much gold. But as far as writing goes it's just OK.

Although i do have to say that if you find Erikson to heavy/dense, than maybe Esslemont is where it is at with Malazan. Because while he might not be on a level with Erikson and Bakker in his writing, he still is better than a lot of other fantasy out there.

@ Wilshire - Uhhh...ouch... . You're way too young to be saying things like "favorite author forever"!! 

[Wilshire]

@ Wilshire - Uhhh...ouch... . You're way too young to be saying things like "favorite author forever"!! 

Am not!

[Redeagl]

After some reading.... You all, people who criticize Malazan are BLASPHEMERS. I will only spare you because you like Bakker.

BTW before any heretic questions my piety, yes Bakker is still my top 1 but Erikson is a close second.

[Woden]

I think I will wait for the Karsa series, I tried the first of Kharkanas and I abandoned it.

[Wilshire]

I think I will wait for the Karsa series, I tried the first of Kharkanas and I abandoned it.

There's going to be a Karsa series? He's probably on my top 5 list for worst characters in all the books. Basically a one dimensional uber-barbarian guy that for some reason is infinitely powerful.

[Woden]

I like Karsa precisely for being a cliché or archetypal barbarian without further pretensions.

Witness. This I vow, I will read the Karsa series in a slog of slogs.