Book Eight of The Malazan Book of the Fallen - Toll the Hounds

This series is incredible! Toll the Hounds is my favorite by far. So many great characters in an increasingly intriguing story which hits you on so many levels. "A lesson can only become a lesson when one has reached the level of humility required to heed it." - Erikson Laugh, weep, rage, and Witness!

i have to say that i am only reading the books now because i am 9 books deep into it and im waiting on other books to be released (george rr martin, raymond e. feist) redemption.. redemption.. redemption.. sigh.. 90% of the different plots are just plain.. boring... everytime you turn around hes creating someone or something more ancient or more powerful to enhance the story.. these books in my opinion could have been written in 5 books.. there is soooooooo much useless dialogue between characters in the books. you have to basically read 100s of pages to understand a simple point which could have been explained in a paragraph... people are happy that the books are over 800 pages.. duh. this does not make a book good because of the amount of pages... there are sooooo many characters that i care nothing about because their story is just boring with nothing but useless talk. the only characters that fascinate me are.. kruppe, anomander rake, icarium, mappo, quick ben, rallick nom, dassem and kalam..--- karsa, tehol, shadowthrone, collition and pust are very annoying and the rest are boring... the whole story about laseen is stupid and boring.. the apocalypse was boring.. the other story lines i dont really remember because they were... boring.. sigh.. there seems to be a lot of people who like these books. i just want to finish it and thank god for ebooks.

A fabulous read. Toll the Hounds was book 8 of ERIKSON's Malazan series, and the author continues to deliver a series of deep characters, long term story arcs and developments that continue to surprise, are multi-levelled and thought provoking.

I recommend the series to any fan of the fantasy genre.

This book is basically 95% self-reflection. Here is an example:

Nimander takes a step > 5 pages of Nimander talking to himself, making vague statements about some moronic "truths" that noone cares about and that are not important to the story > Nimander takes another step >

Cutter grabs his knife > 5 pages of Cutter self-reflecting about some bimbos > Cutter pulls the knife out > 5 more pages of nonsense.

This was definitely the slowest and most boring book that I've ever read. Nothing really even happened in it. All those pages could have been condensed into a single chapter. I really wish the author would get back into the story. The only interesting part was the last 1% of the book.

Worst by far of the series, Erikson typically jumps around quite a bit but the new characters and disjointed plot in this one is near impossible to follow. Made me put down the series, may pick up #9, very disappointed.

I'm a proud owner of all of the books set in the Malazan universe and a fierce partisan that promotes them tirelessly. However, I can't help but feel that this latest addition to the series is not quite up to par with previous books.

One of my main gripes with the book has to be its languorous writing style. I'm used to Erikson doing this to some extent and have always enjoyed parsing apart the occasional paragraphs where he has truly embellished. However, now it feels like every second paragraph requires a second read through and it really slows the book down in terms of reader weariness. This had the effect of obfuscating the plot unnecessarily.

That criticism aside, I did enjoy the book. Just not as much as I would have without the unnecessary fluorishes.

Where to start on a review for this book/series? I mean with something on the epic scale and imagination as this story, characters, and world building. The Mythology of the world alone is on such a epic scale. So much to comprehend.

All I have been hearing since I started reading Fantasy again in 2011 is “you have to read Malazan!” So I finally listened and started. I think I have a new obsession. I can now see what everyone has been going on and on about for all this time. I am hooked and I now need more! So yes I will be continuing this series, and I can’t wait! I know more greatness awaits and I am highly anticipating the journey to come.

Overall a great read. I was entertained, I loved the epic sprawling world created here, and I want to go right into the next book and get more from this series. This might not be for everyone but after starting this series, I know it is for me. A magnificent read. The only thing I can think to describe it is a mind blowing. Everything is just so rich and complex, and such a joy to wrap your mind around.

I loved the first six books, and this one is great as well. I keep thinking the change of locations, story lines, and characters are gong to lessen these books, but they never do. Such fantastic and intriguing characters. That reminds me of a question I always seem to get asked when I post these reviews. Who are your favorite characters from this book?

So a new section in my Malazan reviews.

FAVORITE CHARACTERS FROM THIS BOOK:

Well as always my favorite characters continue to be the same. The dynamic duo of Tehol Beddict and Bugg. Man I really love these two. The way they play off each other is a true pleasure to read. Then there is the great Karsa Orlong! Who is a awesome Conan clone. Not quite as great as Conan but a fantastic character none the less. To my great pleasure I have seen that back in October Steven Erikson announced he is working on the Karsa Orlong Trilogy sooner than expected. Very exciting, if anyone should have their own trilogy it is Karsa. We shall see if these characters play a major role to come. Two books to go!

As you know if you have read my reviews before I am not about long reviews with synopsis and spoilers. I just give my opinion on my experience with this book and you can take it from there. Now on to the next book.

4/5 Stars! - mightythorjrs

I will say that so far this book has been extremely difficult to enjoy. Erikson's tendency to skip between characters and story lines in his series to date has never been a problem for me before as he has always introduced a compelling primary character to follow fairly early. He doesn't do that here. I have enjoyed all of the other books in this series and usually can't put them down and finish them in a few days at most, but after 4 days with this book I am still only a few chapters in because I just don't care, I can't sit down and read this book for any length of time and keep putting it aside looking for anything else to do. I plan to keep struggling through hoping for the story to take off but at this rate the next one will be out before I finish.

http://readfantasybooks.wordpress.com

Plot

Toll the Hounds was the most difficult for me to get through of all the Malazan Books so far. It dragged quite a bit in many parts and I will honestly say that this book didn't become really interesting until about the last four chapters. Having to read several hundred pages before being engaged in a book is rather disappointing.

An interesting aspect of the book was being inside Dragonpuir. That was pretty neat! There are several battles towards the end, and I will say that some amazing characters were lost in this book and I am very upset about it!

Characters

Most of the characters are interesting, especially the ones we already know. Karsa and Samar Dev are back in this novel and spend it traveling with Traveler (big reveal about him in the last few chapters). I also love Barathol Mekhir as well as all the long lost Bridgeburners who retired a few books back. We finally get to see them again and their story is pretty entertaining. I also enjoyed reading about Rake, but not until the very end of the book. I can say that having Hood materialize was pretty awesome and the showdown between him and Rake was so cool!

Writing

The writing was till as good as ever, but the plot moved bit to slowly in my opinion. I'm actually a little fed up with the series being so difficult to comprehend. There are still some parts where I'm like "what did I just read?" and have to go back over it again. I have such a difficult time trying to interpret some of the vague and unclear conversations some of the characters have. Also, I felt like the book could have been a little shorter. I hate to admit it, but I actually skimmed some parts containing characters I don't like reading about, and still figured out everything at the end.

Overall Thoughts

I think you should read this book just to get to the end of the series. I have come this far so I will keep going! Despite the ending being so fantastic, I have to give the book 3 stars because I wouldn't read this particular one again and it should have held my attention from the very beginning. Everyone has their own opinion and I am sure others will like this book more than me. I have read some other reviews and some people chose this as their favorite book, so just depends on what you like in a book. Also, I recommend reading this and all other books with a group so you can discuss it or if by yourself, maybe just reading a chapter a day in order to get full enjoyment out of it. This is one series that you just can't rush through.

The end is creeping ever closer as Steven Erikson takes readers back where the series began, Darujhistan, in "Toll the Hounds", the eighth entry to the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. This novel most closely represents the direct "sequel" (I use this term loosely) to "Memories of Ice", as the primary characters have not been seen since then. Anomander Rake is back, as are the Bridgeburners who have retired -- Picker, Blend, Bluepearl, Antsy, and Mallet. Plotlines are picked up from "The Bonehunters" as well, as Cutter and co. have arrived to the city. Karsa Orlong is back after his big climatic scene in "Reaper's Gale", and a few characters from "House of Chains" are also heavily featured. It is a culmination of many different character arcs and subplots that, while across the world from where the climax of the series will take place, helps set the stage for what is to come, both in plot and thematic tone.

As (almost) always, Erikson's sense of structure is impeccable. It is a great idea to come back to where the series first began for a bit of a "breather" (once again, I use that word loosely) before the final battle. There's a sense of nostalgia present that would not be able to be replicated in any other way. It's like Luke Skywalker visiting Tattooine in "Return of the Jedi" or Harry Potter visiting Godgric's Hollow in "Deathly Hallows". The reader can look back and see just how far they've come. There's also a real sense of closure present. While it has been left to where we will (probably) be back in Darujhistan again, it will not be for very long and won't be a major setting.

The Malazan characters are when Erikson is at his best. The retired Bridgeburners bring energy to this tale as much as the Tiste Andii take it away. Iskaral Pust, Kruppe, and pretty much everyone else in the city makes "Toll the Hounds" a very, very good read. Unfortunately, with every chapter in Darujhistan, there is another on in Black Coral. This is where the novel become a mess and very nearly made me want to quit. There's a lot of philosophy about the nature of shadow, darkness, and light and nothing happens. Once again, characters just ramble on and on. At this point in the story, Erikson cannot really afford to be wasting pages on that. Two characters in particular -- Seerdomin and Endest Silann -- have sections so bad the quality went backwards to "Gardens of the Moon" style. Anomander Rake, normally a very interesting character, gets to be rather boring at times because of this. Also, Erikson suddenly decided that some place called Kharkanas existed, which only served to make the plot even more muddled and confusing. And as is usual with Tiste Andii characters, they're all looking to betray one another and nothing ever comes of it.

Three different aspects of the story really stand out to me in sections that make "Toll the Hounds" superb. First, there is a change in tone and style that is very different from the previous seven. This entire novel, in fact, is told by Kruppe, and his small interludes bring a lot more to the story than I would have thought. Seeing that outside perspective, an omniscient point-of-view bring a lot more meaning and weight (not to mention sadness) to the events that are happening. Second, to couple with that feeling of sadness, Erikson spends a lot more time mourning the deaths of characters. As comes with the territory in these books, many characters do die, but this is the first time in the entire series that I personally felt a prolonged sense of grief. This is Erikson once again elevating his writing to a stronger, more mature style. Finally, the story of the boy Harllo was the single best plotline of the entire series so far. While not grand in scope or important to the entire series, it still had an emotional impact that none of the others have had thus far. All of those sections were a pleasure to read.

As with "Reaper's Gale", Erikson has given a novel that is very good and very bad at times. The convergence in Darujhistan is as fun to read and the convergence in Black Coral is not. At his best, it is his best, but the same goes for his worst. The Tiste Andii plotline might be completely closed from here on out, though, which can only work in Erikson's favor. It should also be noted that there are certain mysteries and plotlines that begin but are never ended, both of which deal with the Bridgeburners. It might be he is setting up for a story of Ian Casslemont's, but as far as I'm concerned, that shouldn't be happening. I signed up to read a 10-volume epic. I shouldn't have to read six other novels from an author I am completely unfamiliar with to have certain subplots resolved.

If you have enjoyed the series up to this point, then you'll probably like this one as well. There are certain passages that might make you lose hope. I'd suggest just skipping over them because it never added anything to the story. Hopefully Erikson can shore up these faulty parts as the finale is looming very close now.

3/5

Malazan Book of the Fallen Book Ratings (from best to worst):

The Bonehunters -- 4/5
Midnight Tides -- 4/5
Memories of Ice -- 4/5
House of Chains -- 3.5/5
Toll the Hounds -- 3/5
Reaper's Gale -- 3/5
Deadhouse Gates -- 2/5
Gardens of the Moon -- 1/5

This is book 8 out of a projected decology called The Malazan Book of the Fallen. Book one is Gardens of the Moon and the fact that I'm reviewing book 8 at ~1,000 pages each should suggest that I recommend them.

Exec Summary:
The general take on this volume has been that it's slow-paced and so-so for the first 2/3 or so and then has a bang-up ending that more than makes up for it. I don't quite agree, but it's close enough if you don't want to read any more.

Review:
The themes of Hounds center on redemption: Can you redeem yourself? Do redemption and justice conflict? Is sacrifice required for redemption? Is it antithetical? How is forgiveness related to redemption, if at all?

The series has been building up to righting some great cosmic wrongs and incorporating or destroying some new powerful beliefs: a chain of betrayals and sacrifices that confused the history of the Andii (the closest this world has to elves); the creation of the horrible sword Dragnipur and the effects and betrayals it engendered; the return of the Crippled God, who is so seductive with his nihilistic faith--offering to turn people's failures and weaknesses and injuries into their moral salvation, regardless of cause or result--that the other powers in the universe banished him once; the revelation of the Dying God with a form of self-destructive nihilism spreading rituals of drugged bliss that destroy whole towns; and, especially important in Hounds, the various betrayals the Tiste Andii perceive between themselves.

The first 2/3 of the book is different, both from the last third and six from of the seven earlier books, and it is slower paced, but it never lets up the drive towards resolution on the subjects of redemption. Particularly poignant is the journey of 6 Tiste Andii and Clip, a servant of the Dying God who is guiding the Tiste band to the rest of their people. The action in this story is moderate at best: some troubles with a few towns where the works of the dying god has left the people unfriendly, some tension when they encounter Kallor (a cursed ascendant who committed the betrayal in book that defines the series and brought a tear to the eyes of anyone with a shred of humanity left) and a Jhag (members of an ogre-like race mostly dead and always feared). Much of their journey is devoted to talking around the betrayals and hurts that shaped Tiste history. It certainly isn't an expository lump; Erikson is excellent at giving the shape of exposition without diving into it. The cosmology of the world is revealed in how people react to it and discuss it. For fans who find the world as interesting as the action, this is great stuff. If you want the swords and lightning, it's just build-up.

The other two major stories intertwine in ways that barely make sense but always threaten to.

In the first thread, the city where much of the series' action takes place (Darujhistan) is building to some sort of conjunction of powerful and destructive forces. This build-up is drawing creatures and individuals and gods of great power and holding ancient grudges and most of the Daru defenders doubt the city will survive the events. They enlist the aid of the Tiste Andii and hunker down as well as they can.

This leads to a another long build-up, but one with more action. Unfortunately for the sword-and-lightning crowd, much of this action is social and political, involving a man fighting to start a smithy without joining the guild, an aging Lothario tracking down a missing child, and two powerful sisters--daughters of the Tiste Andii lord--plotting their mutual revenge. We get some action in the nightly murders committed by a man bitter about his disability and chosen by some god to spread death and discord, but these are short and scattered and never rise to the levels of the earlier books with their extended battles and running chase scenes.

The third major thread involves the gods and their worshipers: the new Cult of the Redeemer, which created a new god in book 3 of the series, has found a high priestess, whether she accepts it or not, and her actions threaten to unravel the cult itself; the Tiste Andii's goddess, Mother Dark, deserted them thousands of years ago and they are still working to reach her and entreat her to return; and a reformed agent of the Pannier, the destructive theocracy which formed the major threat in book 3, links the two through his friendship with leaders on both sides and with his insight into the nature of gods, religion, and society. This link also bring the Redeemer into the Andii story as a whole, tying all of the plots together.

So for these stories (the religion plot threads) we have abstract action which centers on friendships and trust, which skirts around the Andii history (although much is revealed that has been hanging since the first book), and which puts pieces in place without revealing how they will fall together.

This is not a great plot combination for many people.

But it does end (and I enjoyed it, for what it's worth) and it ends in a ganga. The final third builds constantly and never lets up on the action. As we've seen Erikson do in the past, the action isn't just of the sword-and-lightning type but also shakes the universe to its core, exposing some of the underpinning of the cosmology and changing others, and we always see it through the eyes of someone deeply and personally affected. They are affected in ways that concern family, belief, and--as the theme of the book--both sacrifice and redemption. And this one choked me up a little, just like that earlier scene (which I'm leaving out because it's a huge spoiler, both for that book and for this one).

If you haven't read the first seven books, a lot of this would take some thinking, but it's still readable. But don't do that. Start with Gardens and expect to look at what's not being said, at what's assumed by the characters, and at how they are affected emotionally, and you'll find some of the best fantasy out there.

Toll the Hounds, picking up a time after the events of Memories of Ice as well as a few convergences from The Bonehunters and Reapers Gale, returns to the continent of Genebackis where there are two major settings - Darujhistan and Black Coral. These narrative alternates between these settings chapter by chapter, and until the last quarter of the book the characters more or less stay in the vicinity of these settings. As with all the preceeding volumes in the series, there's numerous plots and subplots to follow. As with the previous two volumes, there are a few plotlines which don't particularly seem to have any importance on the overarching story being told, seemingly some sort of vague red herring.

This is definitely the slowest paced of the Malazan novels, at least to my mind. The first of the four books within is more or less an introduction of all the players. The second and third books are set-up, and the final book is the resolution of all the set-up. Probably for the first time since Gardens of the Moon did I find the beginning of a Malazan book uninteresting. This makes the middle - which I once again think sags - all the more challenging. Apart from several momentary breaks where action occurs, I found the entire first 900 pages difficult to get through.

There's also several differences in the way Erikson's written this book, deviating from his other works. For one, Kruppe narrates the Darujhistan-relevant portions of the book, and primarily serves as a recap of events from a slightly different perspective, as well as stepping in as action happens to point out things that were significance or to turn the narrative to a different time/place. Apart from a poignant passage or two, I found most of this bizarre and unnecessary.

Another thing Erikson's done is take a very deep look inside his characters minds, dealing out large portions of introspection. I've seen several reviewers comment on Erikson's "philosophising", but I don't think he's doing that. Rather, I think he's simply trying to get deep in the third person subjective perspective and show the reader these characters ruminations. And as much as I love character-driven stories, the writing style used here of moving rapidly through characters, changing perspectives every few pages for long portions of the book, just isn't conducive to this. The end result is that with some characters most of the time we spend with them is seeing their thoughts, but I didn't find this engaging unless it was a character whose story, up to that point, has already been covered in previous volumes, whose experiences i'm already familiar with. Furthermore, some of the times this introspection happened just wasn't believable.

And the thing is, some of the stuff that I felt needed a bit of explaining, or sections which deserved a bit more to flesh everything out, were left out. I'm baffled that the restraint shown in some places isn't present elsewhere. He tells too much in some places, but tells too little in others.

All this being said, the final quarter of the book is mostly great. The only real dampener I can think of is that some of the things that happen could have used a bit more explanation and clarity. Several things that happened tugged at my heartstrings, and is probably only second behind Reapers Gale in regard to stirring my emotions - in particular several loved characters from previous volumes. Is it enough to redeem the opening three quarters of the book? Possibly, but the overall story really suffers from that and, at times, made me consider taking a break and reading something else.

3/5

I eagerly awaited Toll the Hounds as I became enthralled with not only Erikson's writing style but also the world that he and Esslemont created. So when the book arrived I immediately started reading. And nothing took off, nothing happened. I kept on reading, waiting for Erikson of old to find its way to the pages of Toll the Hounds.

Part of the problem was that this book has an even bigger character roll call than the other books because of how many storylines merged together. So we kept flitting from one character to another and we never really got a chance to get into any one character. When you did it flipped over to somewhere else! Add to that the plot going nowhere and it made for a tough read for the first 200-300 pages.

Oh but did it pick up, to my heart's joyous content. Finally the characters began to take shape and plot lines started merging. When it did I was even more enthralled than in previous books, excepting maybe Reaper's Gale. We got to see virtually all the main characters, with the exception of Ganoes Paran, Icarium, the Tiste Edur and a few other major characters, other than that we see everyone! We watch Karsa Orlong continue his death giving ways (and a twist, we finally see fear in the Toblakai - who'd a thought, which only added more to his character... You'll have to read on to see what could truly cause fear in such an awesome character). The hilarious Kruppe, the funny Bridgeburners, and Iskaral Pust are joined by the likes of Scorch and Leff and the Bole brothers to add such a complex comedy aspect to such an epic fantasy. My favorite scene is when Iskaral Pust rides at his swiftest speed, legs kicking and head bobbing, only to go at the agonizingly slow pace of the mule he but rides, to eventually be met by Kruppe on his warmule. This scene made the whole book worth it as I giggled and laughed out loud.

But there is also the serious and ever violent side of Erikson's writing that is present. The merging of gods, young and old, and ascendants and the power struggles inherent to such meetings. We see Black Coral, home of the Tiste Andii and Anomandor Rake. There are many deaths of characters you've read a lot about, which of course makes way for new players in the struggle for control.

I think this of all Erikson's books accomplished the most in furthering the plot. There was a true convergence of power struggles that yielded a vast amount of possibilities as new powers came into play as the final battle came ever closer. I think that this is one of my favorites of Erikson's books so far, and the only reason not a 5 star is because of how agonizingly long it took for the characters to take on their character, and for how long it took for the plot to finally begin to take shape. Regardless of all that, I would certainly recommend and cannot wait for the next installment to be published.

4 stars.

Get ready for unending preaching on Eriksons philosophies and views on the world and human nature through the internal monologue of his characters for the next 3 books to the end, blah blah blah, just going to leave it at that, in one word 'meh'.

The previous 7 books were amazing, but the last 3 leaves the overall series with a underwhelming feeling, just an opinion, read and see for yourselves.

There's no reason the eighth instalment in Erickson's mammoth series should disappoint fans who have enjoyed the other seven books. I was almost dissuaded from picking up this book by the lukewarm to negative reviews here, but I'm glad I decided to judge for myself.

Many of the criticisms you read here are valid--but pretty much all of those criticisms could apply to any of the books in the series thus far. Yes, there are a lot of point of view changes. Yes, the book is at times difficult to follow and forces you to pay attention, I mean really pay attention. Yes, there are references to characters and events that you probably hardly remember from the previous books. Yes, it takes about 200 pages for you to even have much of an idea what's going on. But really, isn't this what we read Erickson for in the first place? If not, then why have we made it through Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, and on and on. Let Erickson be Erickson, I say.

And yes, there is a bit of a change in the voice used in the book, but the change is small and only impacts the occasional paragraph. Except for a paragraph here and there, the style is classic Erickson.

Once you get into the swing of it, though, you'll just sit and marvel at how Erickson can spin a tale. I found Hounds to be an improvement over Reaper's Gale which I found a bit dull and mean spirited.

As usual, Erickson knows how to bring a book to a conclusion. Other fantasy writers take note. It is possible to write an epic series and not have every book end in a cliffhanger.

No modern author of whom I'm aware can create a climax that's so earth-shattering, so changing that it literally can re-create his worlds after having killed off major, likable characters, but still leave you feeling pretty good in the end. That being said, this is my favorite modern epic fantasy series, but I have had some problems with the last couple of books. They need editing. Badly. No, there are not a ton of mistakes, but a lot of chopping should have been done. Without thinking about it, any editor could have cut 200 pages from this book, and another 200 probably could have been cut with minimal effort. At 1,200 pages, there was just way too much philosophizing and speculation, a trait common to this series but one I did not find annoying until the last couple of books. Still, this was book 8 of 10, and I'll definitely be reading the last two.

Steven Erikson, Toll the Hounds (Tor, 2008)

The final war has begun, the threads of the plot are all coming together, and the Malazan Book of the Fallen is reaching its inescapable conclusion. (As of book eight, that inescapable conclusion seems to be the apocalypse.) The upstart Crippled God seems to finally have all his pieces aligned against the existing pantheon, but now there's a new player, the Dying God. The Dying God eternally bleeds a powerful narcotic called saemankelyk, which is tearing through Genabackis like wildfire, addicting everyone who consumes it and turning them into the Dying God's devotees. Meanwhile, forces are gathering once again in Darujhistan, as they always seem to be, including the long-awaited return of Cutter to his hometown (as well as a few others we haven't seen in a while). Meanwhile, to the south, Anomander Rake, who has been living in Black Coral as something of a peaceful dictator, finds himself moved to action by the supernatural forces around him.

Those of us who have been following from the beginning are now something like seven thousand pages into this epic. (Those in other countries, probably a thousand more, thanks to the Ian Esslemont books that haven't been released in America yet.) Amazingly, the series has stayed remarkably high-quality; in fact, with the first three books, the quality kept going up, and then it plateaued. Steven Erikson has been, as far as I'm concerned, the single best writer of epic fantasy currently going for years. But while Toll the Hounds is still a fantastic book, I can't overlook the fact that it took me longer to read this one than any other book in the series. (In fact, if I just go by straight number of days, it took me longer than any other two combined have taken me.) The book does have some pacing problems that haven't been seen in this series since Gardens of the Moon; there are stretches of this book (all of them in the Black Coral chapters) that just plain drag. Not to say they're not well-written, they just could've used some editing to get the pace adjusted. Still, if you've come this far, it'd be silly to give up now, and if you stick with this one, believe me, the final two hundred pages will make up for everything that came before. ****

This review is more of a supplement to the other lengthier reviews already written. One of the bigger complaints about this entry in the series is that Erikson, for whatever reason, decided to narrate large portions of the book in a more "dramatic" tone or fashion. It is maddening to read unless you figure out WHY it is that way.

The answer: Kruppe is the narrator for parts of the book. Once you realize that the weirdness of the narration is because it is done a la Kruppe, it becomes little easier to stomach.

That said, the rest of the book is pretty good. I felt like there was less action in this book than the others. But, I also felt like the ending of the book may have been the best of the series so far. There are some more boring plot lines (I really didn't care for Stonny's kid) but the way they tie together in the end makes up for it. The Convergence at the end of this book is epic, to say the least.

I'm giving this book 3 1/2 stars, 4 stars officially because Erikson deserves being rounded up. I'll start by saying I am a hugely devoted Steven Erikson fan and consider this the best fantasy series in print right now. However, Toll the Hounds has some shortcomings from my eye that haven't surfaced in the other books of the series. Here's the specifics:

As noted by the author, Erikson changed his writing style with this book. He is writing mostly as though the story is told by Kruppe, to an audience named later. I didn't mind this too much but it comes and goes like a fake Keanu Reeves accent. On top of this, there is far less action for 90% of the book and much more reflection on emotions, internal monologue, pondering the past etc. Most of it honestly, was quite boring and tedious, not to mention inconsequential. Instead of rewarding the readers with more of the interesting storylines (Traveler/Karsa, Bridgeburners in Daru), he almost delights in teasing them and then immediately switching to something boring once the reader's interest get pique'd. I thought most of the Nimander story, Seerdomin/Redeemer, and even the Rake/Endest Silan/Spinnock Durav storylines were FAR too lengthy and fell flat.

Then after all of the musings (kind of mopey musings) of the Tiste Andii, the Redeemer, Seerdomin, etc we get about 100 pages or so of extreme unadulterated mayhem for an ending. Now, I like unadulterated mayhem, don't get me wrong, but it just came across as rushed. The mayhem was more quick, random and confusing than deep and emotional like it should have been. The emotional payoff of this book should have blown Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice away, given the material. It doesn't. If the pace of the book was a chart it would be a 1 or 2 for the first 90% and then spike to 200. It didn't work in this book and I have to say Erikson kind of asked for it (I'll explain).

Erikson has always been known to be intentionally vague. He'll have flashbacks or dialogue that is meaningless to the reader because they don't know the context. I've always liked this about Erikson because I know he'll explain later (making second readings of his books a must). In this one though, he takes it over the top. There is almost nothing given to the reader so they can get an emotional grip on the story. A spoiler free example is the story of the Tiste Andii, Endest Silan, Anomander and his brothers. There is a bunch of depressing talk of sacrifice, betrayal, redemption, etc but we have no idea what Erikson is talking about at the time. How am I supposed to get emotionally involved when I have no idea what the context is? When I finally get the explanation it is too late, and rushed.

I think others may understand what I mean, perhaps not. I recommend reading the book at any rate. The action at the end IS awesome, and this is still the best fantasy series on the market. I hope Erikson goes back to what he does best which is maintaining an exciting pace and leaving the emotional smash over the head for the end, when we're fully vested. Memories of Ice did this and is still one of the top 3 books I have ever read. The way he balanced the action, emotion and mystery of that book was pure genius.

I still love Erikson and I truly hope other readers see something in this book that I did not. A weak Erikson book is still miles ahead of Terry Goodkind's best.

I finished the book last Saturday and today, Sunday a week later, still digest it.
It is the most unusual book in the series.
Almost (but not quite mind you!) as it were written by another writer.
In the beginning I thought it was a longer than usual prologue. After a hundred pages I have realised that it was not going to change and it was the actual narrative. All the time the momentum was growing on. An unrelenting “gut feeling” that something imminent and extremely important is happening (or about to happen) just around the corner, was never ending from the beginning. To a certain extent, one would expect it to be the last book in the series with the culmination waiting in the end of the book. So many unexpected turns of events. Unfortunately, some of the saddest amongst them.

Fortunately, it (the last book) was a misleading expectation and we still have a long way to go.
I absolutely loved the book and quite possibly will re-read it after the next book. According to my research, the next book to be read is Esslemont’s novel - Stonewielder. The first two were disappointing. However, I will try anyway. At least from the academical/historical point of view.

Then on to Dust of Dreams and The Crippled God to be read back to back as one long book.

While I've enjoyed Erikson's Malazan empire series of books, of which this is the eighth, it's possible the author has run out of things to say. There are a lot of words in this installment of the series, but few of them do anything to advance the plot, develop a character, set a mood or any of the other things we traditionally expect to happen in a novel. Personally I don't thinks this bodes well for the remaining books in series, but I'll probably read the next one to see if Toll the Hounds was an aberration or not. If the next one reads the same way, this series might be over for this reader.

That being said, there are probably a core couple of hundred pages in this 800+ page book in which we hear about the characters we've come to know and love in the previous books, with more from Krupp, Mappo, Cutter, Pusk and so on. These sections are a good as ever and stopped me from dropping the book entirely. They are just a little to rare for my taste.

If you're someone who devourers books in one or two sittings I don't think you'll get as much out of this book as otherwise you might. The writing itself is beautiful and is on a level that makes it difficult for me to read most other people's offerings as they just don't measure up. As always, Mr. Erikson broke my heart after making me love his characters. Being incredibly powerful in these stories just means your sacrifice will be even greater.

I did not find this book a difficult read, but I took my time and read it slowly. I didn't look for connections between the different groups involved in the story, but instead enjoyed them as separate stories that in the end all combined into a neat package. I always ache when I finish another Malazan book, but I think this one was even more draining than Deadhouse Gates (which really tore me up emotionally). I feared, based on some of the reviews I read here, that I would be disappointed in this volume, but instead I believe it is one of my favorites.

I will say this first off, the book starts slow. But if you have read any of his works, that goes without saying. Outside of Gardens of the Moon, they all pretty much build up and up to a grand earth shattering climax.

I thought this was a better work than Reaper's Gale, Midnight Tides and Deadhouse Gates (which is probably my most disliked of the books) and a bit short of the others.

Many of the old characters are back and better than ever in this epic. Rake, Gruntle, the Rope, Karsa amongst others. Erikson weaves the tales of all the characters with his usual aplomb.

True, at times, the book could flag some in its pacing (its 832 pages for crying out loud), but the last 275 pages of the book more than make up for it. That portion of it alone, makes it a worthwhile read.

In the end it has everything you have come to expect in one of his books. It has tragedy aplenty, it has passion, triumph, tribulations, it pretty much runs the gamut.

I would give it a solid 4.5 stars and recommend it for any who has already read the previous books. For those who haven't, go back to Gardens of the Moon. You'll be hopelessly lost otherwise.

I enjoy the added focus on the former Bridgeburners, Erikson does not try to do too much with them.
The gods begin to move in the open, and some of the previous plots start getting connected.
But it seems the only reason the gods are moving in the "open" is that Erikson needs to use "plot no jutsu" to start tying the various plots together.
This is more of a diety and plot book than some of the other ones where armies just come and go at random.
The end pushes it up to a decent book.
If you got this far it is smooth sailing to the end.

I'll make mine short:
Love the whole series. Erikson is typically great. This book fell flat. FAR too much pondering and existential musings from all characters and not enough plot development. I got bored frequently and I felt as if he was using different characters to preach the same philosophy in slightly different ways. This became repetitive. I found myself skimming many of the internal monologues when they started preaching something I'd already heard.

I'm about 80% complete. Will update this if the ending changes my overall opinion. I don't want this to throw anyone off of erikson in general (I will be completing the series) but prepare yourself for a grind.

Yeah, have to somewhat agree with the top reviewers on this. I've always thought Erikson had a gift for detail, but at times I can't figure my way through the obscurity. Maybe his sites offer histories, I dunno. But for some epics, tandems and/or timelines wouldn't go unappreciated. We just wanna figure it out, darn it! I liked his second-guessing thing about the Redeemer ...it's what authors and readers do. We're their 'worshipers' and like to second-guess our 'god's' outcomes!

What's sometimes irks me is the fatalistic vein in these. You read on just dying for one scenario to end hopefully but they get blunted or soured -to (maybe) later win a sort of resurrection. Most of what was funneled in this one I liked, except for Harllo's family's story. A little slow with the more 'average' citizens, true; but then that's the life of the lower classes: moments of joy =rare; moments of victory come when/where you don't expect.

In all, I liked this book better than some others for its more satisfying summations. He sets up several candidates for several possibilites -Dying God, Crippled God, Redeemer, etc. -with no proof who's goin for what. Then there's the power players lookin' to snatch Dragnipur for themselves ...you don't know who's gonna reach out a snag that prize 'til the last -or who gets axed. I was praying Karsa wouldn't die 'cause I happen to like him, but who knows-? And shocked but pleased with Anomander, here. I always did expect more of him. He was absent for too long; in earlier books I resented him for not doing enough. Alot brought together for this climax.

I have read all the reviews for Toll the Hounds listed here, and I have to disagree with what's been said so far! Toll the Hounds is, in my option anyway, the BEST book so far (the next best being Midnight Tides & Repear's Gale)! I've read all eight books in this series straight through and thought that this book out of all of them was the most beautifully written books I have EVER read! That's not to say that it wasn't full of violence or intrigue, cause all of that was there as well... But also, there were long awaiting answers!! When I did finish Toll the Hounds, the book was so good, that I have taken up reading the ENTIRE set all over again (only had one other author do that for me!) Erikson is a master at what he does and I can't wait until the final two books are released!!!!

The author has notably changed his style for this book (This was conscious at least in part, as he has apparently said just this in public forums, book signings, etc). Unfortunately, changing a successful style 75% of the way into a series may not be the best strategy. Note that a 2-star stand-alone book is a book I won't be finishing, but a 2-star addition to a series i have greatly enjoyed will get finished, once...

To repeat - 2 stars means if this was a new series or author, I would have given up less than halfway through.

I have avoided spoilers in this review. A couple of very non-revelatory items are mentioned below. Spoilers for any and all previous stories in this series are present.

This novel takes place mostly in Darujhistan and nearby. A number of major plot threads are resolved, many surprises can be expected, some greater background on the conflict in the series is given, and nonetheless I remained somewhat confused by all the new information. This is not a complaint.

By page 60, I wondered why the author was changing setting/location every 2-3 pages, between far too many subjects/locations. By page 120, it was very annoying. A major fight scene in a bar mid-way through the book was the longest connected scene so far, and it was only 8 pages long. This seems to me to prevent the reader from every getting into any particular set of characters, and prevents the author from doing anything that takes more than a few pages to explain. I understand that in some cases he is describing events occurring in Darujhistan at almost the same time that will impact each other, but often this is not the case.

By the last third of the book, the author has taken to introducing some setting changes (not chapters, which have their own long prose commentaries) with a page or two of monologue, often metaphysical or philosophical. I skipped more pages of this (skipping ahead until an actual character appeared or someone said or did something) in the last third of the story than I have ever skipped in one of his books. He begins editorializing, in one case after the death of someone, suggesting the reader not despair yet, more things were going to happen "Do not grieve... ...Rest easy for the next few moments, for there is more to tell." I do not see the necessity of this line (there were many pages left in the book, obviously there is more to tell), and it begins to remind me of Stephen King's direct comments to readers in his later Dark Tower stories.

Minor Spoilers - consider whether you want to read these. These are complaints.

Samar Dev appears in this book very far from where she ended Reaper's Gale, with no explanation of how she got to where she is with the animal accompanying her (there is no bus service off the Letherii continent, it was an extremely unusual voyage only done by the Edur fleet (gone/done), the Adjunct's fleet (burnt), the grey swords (exterminated), and the barghast in our previous stories,) or how she knew to go to the particular place she is now. My suspicion is that erikson realized he needed to get karsa his horse (and witch), and just had to fudge it.

Karsa Orlong's destination when he left the crippled god is not given, and he appears somewhere somewhat distant from his goal. Characters related to his thread miraculously appear at a major climax point - not 5 minutes before or after.

My previous reviews on ALL the books of this series speak for themselves as far as how much I have enjoyed this story, but I am really quite disappointed by this book and will hesitate to buy the 9th volume in hardback.

I am a huge fan of Erikson's Malazan series. This review is not reflective of the substance of Erikson's latest book, Toll the Hounds, rather a complaint concerning this hard-cover version. In the past, I've ordered the British Bantam Press large paperback version of the books because they are released earlier than the American version. This time, however, I ordered Toll the Hounds as a hardcover from Tor. I could not be more disappointed in the physical attributes of this edition. The pages are tissue thin and paper-bag recycled. The text is extremely small and doesn't stand out from the page. As many reviewers have noted, Erikson employs more colorful and indirect language in Hounds with more numerous story arcs than in past books. This edition makes it even more difficult to read and follow. When I compared this version with the Bantam version of Reaper's Gale, I could not believe the stark differences. If I had the extra money, I'd buy the british version right now. Instead, I'll have to toil through this substandard edition that is overpriced for what is presented. Sorry to rant but other readers and Erikson fans should know what they're getting when they order this hard-cover book.

An above average installment. As always, a mixture of good and bad, but plenty of clever characters, plot, and dialogue.

The problem, which you can sense from the other reviews, is reader fatigue. The story-line shifts begin to distract rather than entice. The ambiguous descriptions, dialogue, and proto-philosophy become wearying rather than a welcome space for the imagination to fill in the details. Author fatigue may also be an issue - I do not get the same impression of Erikson growing in power as he did between volumes 1 to 3.

I've got a huge amount of enjoyment out of the series - particularly Memories of Ice which was a sheer joy to read. Maybe it is time for the series to evolue or for a new story to be told?

So many reviews said that this book was long, with extended stretches where nothing was happening. Sorry, but I beg to differ. This book merely sets the stage for the final two books, and the final chapter, "Toll the Hounds", has enough action and plot changes to fuel even the most sated of readers. So many plotlines came together in this book. Erikson would not have done the previous volumes, stories, and characters justice had he not taken the time to gently reintroduce them to the overall story.

Well done, well worth the 1269-page journey. Disregard the poor reviews and sit down with great expectations, for this book delivers.

Oh, and Kruppe once again (other than a would-be hero ox or war-mule) steals the show!

The eighth novel in "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" saga, "Toll the Hounds", gradually builds a wild climax while bouncing around various points of views largely frequented near Darujhistan. The majority of the characters or events relate to Anomander Rake and somewhat with Cutter. Blacksmith Barathol Mekhar creates the greatest interest among all the briefly touched personalities spending an excessive amount of time philosophizing and reflecting.

The chilling realm within Anomander's dreaded weapon Dragnipur has an ultimate purpose aside from the burden and sacrifices upon the wielder. The author has either exceptional foresight or extreme craftiness for the swords desired path as evident in the book. But Shadowthrone, former Malazan Emperor and King of High House Shadow, continues to disappoint me with his giggling adolescent behavior. Quick Ben, Captain Paran, and Icarium are not present.

About 200 pages into the hardback edition, I decided to count the different point of views throughout the next chapter. During the seventh chapter (35 pages), there are 21 view changes, and of those 21 only 3 of them were repeat characters other than the final being a philosophizing summary of events, resulting in 17 different points of view. I felt I were multitasking, bouncing around inside assorted minds until an emotional cliffhanger to then reorienting for another view and shortly thereafter change again. It was easy to set the book down and take breaks by the limited focus.

The mediocre maps and hopeless appendix provide little or no information. Given the abundant quantity of characters, an improved comprehensive appendix is necessary including racial characteristics, relating magical powers, and describing creatures.

Thank you.

Here's what I love about Steven Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series:

It's huge and hugely complicated. Tons of characters, a plot that is a 100 miles thick, a story line that spans hundreds of thousands of years, characters operating on several planes of existence and in several realms that somehow all affect one another. Mind boggling.

It's gut-wrenching and extremely emotional. Erickson is merciless in his manipulation of the reader's emotional journey. He writes about friendship, loyalty and love in ways no other author manages, and yet also tortures the reader with his tales of despair, heartbreak and betrayal.

Lastly, until this installment, one could safely say that despite the size of each volume, in a Malazan book, *something* was always happening on any given page. Not so in Toll the Hounds.

This book goes on for hundreds and hundreds of pages with absolutely NOTHING happening. There's a TON of navel-gazing in Toll the Hounds. And it's clumsily executed too, where, at its most absurd, what feels like dozens of pages are dedicated to the empty reflections of an Ox. An Ox? Seriously?

If you hated the Mhybe character in Memories of Ice, because all she was in the book was an endless stream of internal dialogue that did nothing to advance or clarify the plot, then you will need to brace yourself for this book. Pretty much every character in it spends pages and pages and pages in Greek Opera-style mournful introspection. I suppose some might call this character building, but the appeal, at leas to me, of Erickson's books has thus far been that the stories are primarily plot-driven.

That said, in the last third of the book, Erickson does deliver on some pretty major plot developments, and there are several "moments" the likes of which keep us fans coming back for more. One event in particular will have you bawling like a baby in the middle of the night.

Get the book. You will need to have read it before you can continue with the series. But get set for the slowest-paced volume yet. (In fairness, Erickson did warn us that this would be the case with this one.)

Out of all of the books in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, from GotM to Toll the Hounds, Toll the Hounds has my vote for best book yet. The long ancient story of the powerful Tist Andii people is about to experience an extraordinary revolution, and the ultimate destiny of my favorite character in this series, Anomander Rake, is revealed. This book is also notable in that we learn more about the infamous former first sword of the Malazan empire, Karsa Orlong actually experiences a moment of humility, we learn something new about the mysterious Azath Houses, and many other things of course.

Erikson's writing, and his ability to tie together multitudes of story lines are as excellent as ever in this latest book.

Toll the Hounds as previously mentioned in other reviews is a long book. Three fourths of which is character exposition framing a conclusion worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster.

The series comes full circle to where it started in Gardens of the Moon with many of the same characters and some surprising reveals. One thing about Steven Erikson is he is not afraid for his characters to die, both mortals and deities. What sets him apart even more is that Death seems to be a transient thing (no spoilers here).

I would have rated this higher if not for the length of the first part where I have to admit I skipped through the dialogues of the lesser/minor characters. But definitely a must buy for the serious fantasy reader.

I'm giving this book 3 1/2 stars, 4 stars officially because Erikson deserves being rounded up. I'll start by saying I am a hugely devoted Steven Erikson fan and consider this the best fantasy series in print right now. However, Toll the Hounds has some shortcomings from my eye that haven't surfaced in the other books of the series. Here's the specifics:

As noted by the author, Erikson changed his writing style with this book. He is writing mostly as though the story is told by Kruppe, to an audience named later. I didn't mind this too much but it comes and goes like a fake Keanu Reeves accent. On top of this, there is far less action for 90% of the book and much more reflection on emotions, internal monologue, pondering the past etc. Most of it honestly, was quite boring and tedious, not to mention inconsequential. Instead of rewarding the readers with more of the interesting storylines (Traveler/Karsa, Bridgeburners in Daru), he almost delights in teasing them and then immediately switching to something boring once the reader's interest get pique'd. I thought most of the Nimander story, Seerdomin/Redeemer, and even the Rake/Endest Silan/Spinnock Durav storylines were FAR too lengthy and fell flat.

Then after all of the musings (kind of mopey musings) of the Tiste Andii, the Redeemer, Seerdomin, etc we get about 100 pages or so of extreme unadulterated mayhem for an ending. Now, I like unadulterated mayhem, don't get me wrong, but it just came across as rushed. The mayhem was more quick, random and confusing than deep and emotional like it should have been. The emotional payoff of this book should have blown Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice away, given the material. It doesn't. If the pace of the book was a chart it would be a 1 or 2 for the first 90% and then spike to 200. It didn't work in this book and I have to say Erikson kind of asked for it (I'll explain).

Erikson has always been known to be intentionally vague. He'll have flashbacks or dialogue that is meaningless to the reader because they don't know the context (on the first read at least). I've always liked this about Erikson because I know he'll explain later, making second readings of his books almost more enjoyable than the first. In this one though a second reading is mandatory to reach full enjoyment because he takes it over the top. There is almost nothing given to the reader so they can get an emotional grip on the story. A spoiler free example is the story of the Tiste Andii, Endest Silan, Anomander and his brothers. There is a bunch of depressing talk of sacrifice, betrayal, redemption, etc but we have no idea what Erikson is talking about at the time. How am I supposed to get emotionally involved when I have no idea what the context is? When I finally get the explanation it is too late, and rushed.

I think others may understand what I mean, perhaps not. I recommend reading the book at any rate. The action at the end IS awesome, and this is still the best fantasy series on the market. I hope Erikson goes back to what he does best which is maintaining an exciting pace and leaving the emotional smash over the head for the end, when we're fully vested. Memories of Ice did this and is still one of the top 3 books I have ever read. The way he balanced the action, emotion and mystery of that book was pure genius.

I still love Erikson and I truly hope other readers see something in this book that I did not. A weak Erikson book is still miles ahead of Terry Goodkind's best.

I can certainly relate to those who are annoyed by the frequent jumping from one character (or group of characters) to another every 2-3 pages or so, but if you stick with "Toll the Hounds", everything eventually coalesces into a stunning conclusion, as at least one central theme is resolved. Here are some reasons to hang in there:

1. Mother Dark turned her back on her children, the Tiste Andii. Her son, Anomander Rake, assumed responsibility for the fate of his people. The purpose of his sword Dragnipur is revealed, and is not what it seems. Rake's fate and purpose are revealed in stunning fashion, enough to justify reading "Toll the Hounds".

2. Traveler: who is he, and what brings him to Darujhistan? Another revelation sure to surprise those familiar with earlier books. Never assume the departed do not return.

3. Hood, God of death; what is he behind the hood? His purpose is also revealed; the dead are collected for a reason, and and marching towards their fate.

4. A new player is introduced; the Dying God. The visceral corruption of his blood compares to the Crippled God.

As usual, several players are called upon to make terrible sacrifices, and redemption abounds. As always, a few Bridgeburners fight against extinction. And of course, another group of intrepid travelers bumble and stumble their way towards their destination in comedic fashion, trying not to get themselves killed in the process.

I know the book starts a little slow, but stick it out; the conclusion is worth the price of admission.

The author has notably changed his style for this book (This was conscious at least in part, as he has apparently said just this in public forums, book signings, etc). Unfortunately, changing a successful style 75% of the way into a series may not be the best strategy. Note that a 2-star stand-alone book is a book I won't be finishing, but a 2-star addition to a series i have greatly enjoyed will get finished, once...

To repeat - 2 stars means if this was a new series or author, I would have given up less than halfway through.

I have avoided spoilers in this review. A couple of very non-revelatory items are mentioned below. Spoilers for any and all previous stories in this series are present.

This novel takes place mostly in Darujhistan and nearby. A number of major plot threads are resolved, many surprises can be expected, some greater background on the conflict in the series is given, and nonetheless I remained somewhat confused by all the new information. This is not a complaint.

By page 60, I wondered why the author was changing setting/location every 2-3 pages, between far too many subjects/locations. By page 120, it was very annoying. A major fight scene in a bar mid-way through the book was the longest connected scene so far, and it was only 8 pages long. This seems to me to prevent the reader from every getting into any particular set of characters, and prevents the author from doing anything that takes more than a few pages to explain. I understand that in some cases he is describing events occurring in Darujhistan at almost the same time that will impact each other, but often this is not the case.

By the last third of the book, the author has taken to introducing some setting changes (not chapters, which have their own long prose commentaries) with a page or two of monologue, often metaphysical or philosophical. I skipped more pages of this (skipping ahead until an actual character appeared or someone said or did something) in the last third of the story than I have ever skipped in one of his books. He begins editorializing, in one case after the death of someone, suggesting the reader not despair yet, more things were going to happen "Do not grieve... ...Rest easy for the next few moments, for there is more to tell." I do not see the necessity of this line (there were many pages left in the book, obviously there is more to tell), and it begins to remind me of Stephen King's direct comments to readers in his later Dark Tower stories.

Minor Spoilers - consider whether you want to read these. These are complaints.

Samar Dev appears in this book very far from where she ended Reaper's Gale, with no explanation of how she got to where she is with the animal accompanying her (there is no bus service off the Letherii continent, it was an extremely unusual voyage only done by the Edur fleet (gone/done), the Adjunct's fleet (burnt), the grey swords (exterminated), and the barghast in our previous stories,) or how she knew to go to the particular place she is now. My suspicion is that erikson realized he needed to get karsa his horse (and witch), and just had to fudge it.

Karsa Orlong's destination when he left the crippled god is not given, and he appears somewhere somewhat distant from his goal. Characters related to his thread miraculously appear at a major climax point - not 5 minutes before or after.

My previous reviews on ALL the books of this series speak for themselves as far as how much I have enjoyed this story, but I am really quite disappointed by this book and will hesitate to buy the 9th volume in hardback

Although I fault this book for some of the same reasons listed here, Erikson's writing from Kruppe's point of view is a delight.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Erikson for being so committed and loyal to his readers. To crank out this much material in such a timely manner is no small fete. Unlike the author of another popular fantasy series (who seems to enjoy tally-hoing around the world more than finishing his story), Erikson delivers in both style and function.

Thanks!

Erikson kept shifting the POV every page and a half or so, and that made most of this hard to follow. There was also endless philosophizing on the part of the characters and that really slowed the pace of the narrative to a standstill in some spots. In fact, you could take any two paragraphs from the beginning of any chapter and insert them at the beginning, middle or end of any other chapter, regardless of character, without anybody ever noticing. This volume wandered aimlessly until the last 200 pages or so where everything ties together. As much as I love the Malazan Book of the Fallen, I almost put this one down in disgust and boredom. Fortunately, the ending more than made up for all the endless reflections on death and evil that each and every character engages themselves in page after page after page.

This is the 8th book in Steven Erikson's 'Malazan Book of the Fallen" series.

Of all the books in the Malazan series, this is, without a doubt, my least favorite...I will explain

First, the pros;

Overall, this series is epic fantasy at its best; in fact 829 pages in this book alone. There is intrigue, magic, unexpected enemies and friends and even some erotic moments; not to mention the usual backstabbing and clandestine plotting. In this book we are reacquainted with some old friends from previous tales, e.g. Cutter, Druiker, Karso Orlong (Toblakai warrior), Anomander Rake and last but not least, the ever loquacious, forever famished, mound of round, Kruppe.

Erikson's strength is his use of prose to describe people and their surrounding, all the while weaving a tale his characters come alive in; this latest installment is no exception. However, this may be the first in all the books of this series that may be deemed somewhat overwritten, mainly because of some of these perceived strengths. Which leads me into commenting on...

The cons;

1.)As with previous Erikson works, the book starts off by given brief glimpses of several different developing stories. The problem here, in my opinion, is that unlike previous books, most of these story lines do not really develop into something resembling a plot until well after the first 200+ pages.

2.)In addition to the slow development, the writing seems disjointed and difficult to follow; I had to almost 'study' sections to try to figure out what Erikson had his characters doing and saying.

3.)I found I became 'weary' of trying to interpret the vague, unclear conversations and happenings that occurred through out most of the entire novel. Eventually I stopped trying to figure out the difficult passages and just concentrated on sections that I found easy to understand; I don't think I'd have finished the book otherwise.

4.)I never thought I'd ever hear myself saying this about an Erikson book; I found myself somewhat bored by some of the dragged out, confusing descriptions and tales; almost to the point of skimming them.

5.)And last, I can't remember the last time I've been so happy to have finally finished a book.

Conclusion:

An intriguing Malazan tale that had potential, but unfortunately got mired down with a sluggish beginning and middle; the last section (Toll the Hounds) was better...but overall, a somewhat 'difficult' read. That is not to say there weren't some great moments in this book, because there were, many in fact; and this was my main reason for rating the book as high as I did.

I seems to me that Erikson has 'stumbled' with this book; he knows what he's talking about, but I can't say the same for me. I wonder about other readers; I'm I the only one to notice this tendency towards 'unreadability'?

I hope Erikson gets back on track with his next installment; one more book like this and he may begin to lose some of his loyal followers.

Difficult to rate this book, so I settled for a 3.5 and rounded it up to a 4.0 (rather than down to a 3.0 ) because I decided to give Erikson the benefit of the doubt...for this one.

Ray Nicholson

Steven Erikson is perhaps the greatest writer of adult fantasy. Vivid characters with various personalities and values, fluid action, wonderful (never boring !) detailed descriptions and, multiple worlds, races and cultures mingled with magic and interaction, a true reading delight. Thank you Steven Erikson for this fantastic trip through the various books of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. Your inspiration and academic background are indeed a powerful combination. May inspiration continue to bless you!

Unlike some other reviewers I found this to be one of Erikson's best books. Although the "action" for most of the story is slow, I found it a pleasure getting to know certain characters more thoroughly, Karsa anyone?...Rake!!
Steven Erikson seems to have finally placed all the story lines and characters in a more coherent way than in last books. The use of krupe as storyteller was a good companion to the story. Anyways its a great read, and essential for any fantasy lover.

This guy really has talent and a vision that is mind boggling, but this book has me beginning to wonder if he isn't sure where to go with the story anymore. More than once during this reading I told my wife (yes, I have one) that this guy is starting to remind me of Robert Jordan. A couple of things are really disturbing about this book:

1. I can barley follow him anymore. He has become such a psychiatrist and his analogies about how characters feel and why they do what they do, while interesting at times, will many times make up almost 50% of the paragraph. I find my self in the middle of a page and asking, what the heck did I just read? It becomes an effort to understand and it wears a guy down
2. Does anyone who has followed this from gardens of the moon really know what is going on anymore? What are Cotillion and Shadowthrone up to? Why did they have the hounds follow Traveller to darujhistan? Why did traveller have a problem with hood? Why did Rake have a problem with hood? What's up with spite and envy? What purpose do the hounds of light have? Kharkanas? Where did that come from? We now have hounds of light, Shadow, and Darkness?? Whatever happened to the azath that Nimander built with that giant in gothos' ice warren? So many weird loose ends that frankly, I could not explain if I had too. He may close them, but it will be 3000 pages and 3 years from now and most of us won't remember. The dying god, a key figure on this whole book, is a child of some obscure creation that occurred 7 books ago and has never been mentioned since? Seemed like a huge reach to me. What was the purpose of the Trygalle Trade Guild in this? They carted mappo and gruntle, two of my favorite characters, around for 800+ pages and never did a darn thing except starp some undead guy to the wheel of thier carriage. I just got no feeling that we made any progress towards what I think can be a magnificent series/ending. Reminds me of books 6-10 in the wheel of time series where nothing happened except we all grew older......When stacked up against other books in the series, like House of Chains, Midnite Tides, or Reapers Gale, this pales in comparisons.

Bottom Line: Read it because you have to, and hope he has a plan to wrap this up before I embarrass myself at the old folks home by pulling out book 19 of this series for a fireside reading (have you done that btw? the graphic art on the covers of each book is awesome, but I have drawn more than one strange look from a co-worker or some family at an airport when I pull it out of the laptop bag)

Erikson at his finest. By now he can write the best quality epic fiction effortlessly. If you know and love the Malazan books, this will be another masterpiece for you. Events come to a head in a BIG way, with big consequences. Some of my favorite under-exposed characters from previous books get the chance to shine. All in all a winner.

If you know Erikson, if you know Malaz, Daru people, Karsa, Rake... is there any way to not read this?

It's really great adventure into some fallen world. And best of all - is as good as ever! But - don't forget to read previous books or you lost best parts.

I love this narration, this reachfull wordl, those characters and all this history.

Regardless of your taste in genre, Erikson's ability to develop literally dozens of characters, each with different and fully realized personalities, and place them into world's and cultures as vast and complex as our own makes this book worth getting to know. It's an insight into laughter and despair, hope and futility...it's an insight into our own lives in a way that leaves you entertained and wanting more.

As always, Erikson takes my breath away. I laugh, I cry, I goggle. His work is gritty, shocking and simply...amazing. I feel quite at home in his creation. (And I haven't yet decided what that says about my sense of humor and character.)

Toll the Hounds (2008) is the eighth fantasy novel of The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, following Reaper's Gale. In the previous volume, Icarium activated his machine and found that it was broken. The Emperor left his sword in the leg of Karsa Orlong. Silchas Ruun attacked the Bridgeburners and was driven away.

The Adjunct Tavore decided not to occupy Lether. Tehol Beddict was offered a new position and gained a wife. The Crippled God offered eternal life, but was refused.

In this novel, Gruntle is a caravan guard. He is also the Mortal Sword of Trake, although he keeps trying to deny his God.

Cutter is an assassin. He still loves Apsalar, but takes solace from Scillara.

Barathol Mehkar is a weapons maker and a former soldier. He takes care of Chaur, a simpleton.

Mappo Runt is a Trell and the former companion of Icarium. He is trying to return to his companion.

Picker, Blend, Antsy, Mallet, and Bluepearl are former Bridgeburners who have retired in Darujhistan. They are running a bar in a former temple of K'rul.

Murillo is a duelist and a lady's man. He is a friend of Kruppe and others at the Phoenix Inn.

Rallick, Torvald and Bellam Nom are cousins. Rallick and Torvald have not been seen in Darujhistan for some time.

Kruppe is a little round man and a regular at the Phoenix Inn. He is also known as the Eel.

Harllo is the child of Stonny Menackis. He is being raised by Myrla and Bedek with their children Snell, Hinty and Mew.

Anomander Rake is the Son of Darkness. He is the leader of the Tiste Andii and the ruler of Black Coral.

Karsa Orlong is a Teblor Toblaki warrior. He had traveled with Samar Dev until she helped him escape from the Letherii arena.

Samar Dev is a witch. She had escaped from Lether on Havoc, Karsa's carniverous horse.

Traveller is a former Malazan High Fist and is now an Ascendant. He is searching for Hood, the God of Death.

Kallor was the High King of the First Empire. He is immortal, but not really a God nor an Ascendant.

Clip is leading the children of Anomander Rake toward Black Coral. They are following him only because Nimander Golit sees no reason not to do so. Skintick, Nenanda, Aranatha, Kedeviss and Desra are really following Nimander.

Ditch was a wizard of Pale. Now he is imprisoned within Dragnipur, the sword forged by Draconus and now possessed by Anomander Rake.

In this story, Kruppe is confronted by an Elder God. K'rul declares that he is not part of the war, but Kruppe points out that K'rul is the prize.

Ditch is pulling the Burden, a giant wagon filled with the fallen. He is one of many. But the influx of prisoners has slowed down and the Burden is piled high. Even Pearl the demon -- who is carrying many of the fallen -- is beginning to lose his strength. And the Chaos is coming nearer.

Karsa Orlong is heading home. Samar Dev is following him to return his horse. Traveller and Kallor -- the High King -- are also traveling northward.

An old scarred dog stirs within a village of the Treblor Toblakai and leaves its place. Two young girls follow the dog southward.

Gruntle returns with four wagons driven by dead men, the remains of a larger caravan. Master Sirik is not inclined to believe his explanations, but then Gruntle releases the dead to go to Hood and they collapse on the wagon seats. Then Sirik thinks to pay only a portion of the pay due, but backs down when Gruntle promises to tell the Guild exactly what happened and why.

Gruntle goes to visit Harllo. The young boy is fascinated by Gruntle's stories and advice. Snell is envious and decides to give the younger child some thumps.

Gruntle also visits Stonny at her dueling school. He discusses his problems in the Caravan Guard Guild and suggest that he would be better off in the Trygalle Trade Guild. Stonny tells him to forget it, but he joins anyway.

Picker is fetching home some Rhivi flatbread for Blend. A Guild Assassin is following her. He is very surprised when she whirls and cuts him down with a single thrust of her longsword.

Two other assassins are waiting for Antsy and Bluepearl. They leap out behind their targets and thrust with their daggers. After they kill the illusive decoys, Antsy sticks his short sword through one's neck and Bluepearl strangles the other one.

Murillo is entertaining the daughter of the house while her mother rests from her own tryst. Then a young man sticks him with a sword. Murillo slowly returns to the Phoenix Inn before collapsing.

Torvald Nom returns to Darujhistan in a coracle and immediately runs into his old buddies Scorch and Leff. Unfortunately, they have his name on their list. Luckily, they listen to him and let him go until the next day.

Rallick Nom is awakened in the Finnest House to find Vorcan already gone. He follows her out -- carefully staying on the walkway -- and returns to the Phoenix Inn. Rallick is not in any hurry to let the Assassin Guild know that he has returned.

A ship is tied up at the pier. Sister Spite is the captain. The crew are Cutter, Scillara, Barathol, Chaur, Mappo Runt, a High Priest of Shadow, and his old hag of a wife. Also onboard are a miserable mule and a band of bhokarala.

Cutter goes ashore to find his way to the Phoenix Inn. Barathol and Chaur depart the ship to open a blacksmith shop and Scillara follows them. Mappo Runt leaves to find a way back to Icarium Lifestealer. Even Iskasral Pust, Mogora, the mule and the bhokarala quit the ship. Soon only Sister Spite is left on the vessel.

Mappo Runt hires the Trygalle Trade Guild to take him to Icarium. At first, the Trygalle Master says that it will take a while to gather more personnel to replace their losses from the last mission. Then Gruntle and three others become Shareholders and they are ready to leave the next day. They depart through Hood's Gate, but find it filled with the dead marching off to war.

Clip leads Anomander Rake's children to an inn in Morsko town where the residents are swilling saemankelyk. Clip goes into the inn, but the children of Rake move further down the street. After the sound of slaughter subsides, they return to the inn to find Clip unconscious on the floor amid the blood of the residents.

Then Snell attacks Harllo while he is gathering fuel. The unconscious boy is then sold to the iron mines. Murillo finds out the details and heads for the mines to recover the boy.

This tale brings change to Darujhistan, Black Coral and the world inside Dragnipur. A war is fought within Dragnipur that involves Gods, Ascendants, and the dead. The Dying God and the Redeemer face each other in Black Coral.

In Darujhistan, the Assassin Guild destroys itself trying to kill the Malazans within K'rul's bar and assaulting the estate of a new Councilor. The Hounds of Shadow and Light contribute their own confusion and wreckage. Then Traveller and Anomander Rake arrive. Karsa Orlong and Samar Dev witness the confrontation.

This work is a meganovel, having more than 800 pages and a cast of many thousands. The Dramatis Personae has over a hundred entries naming only the main characters. Many other characters are referenced in the narrative.

The chapters are broken up into short scenes describing small episodes. Story threads are interleaved with other storylines, so it is easy to lose track. Some main characters are killed in this work, but many others are left for the sequels.

The next volume -- Dust of Dreams -- returns to the Letherii continent. Read and enjoy!

Recommended for Erikson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of armed conflict, many forms of magic, and twisted relationships. For those who have not previously read this series, the initial volume is Gardens of the Moon.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I really enjoyed this book. It brings together many of the story lines that were started in other books, while continuing to move the plot along and to shock the reader, every now and then, in true Erikson fashion. While it wasn't my favorite book of the series (no Quick Ben), I found it difficult to put down and was sad to see it end. I will certianly read it again, and I am looking forward to Dust of Dreams.

I love this entire series. But this book is the weakest in the series by far. The book drags on and on with spots of brilliance surrounded by seas of interminable dullness. The continuous ramblings about the intricacies of the gods just didn't do it for me. Midnight Tides was a book I could barely put down, but Toll the hounds was a book I dreaded to pick up. The good news is Erikson got out of his funk in the final 200 pages, and hopefully that will carry over into the next book in the series.

It has been six years since the last deity battle, but another one between competing Gods seems imminent in Darujhistan. The native Crippled God and the Dying God want a seat at the pantheon. Each uses expendable humans to gain an edge over their rival.

Meanwhile as these two Gods battle for supremacy and the prize, others converge on the city in which factions already are divided. No matter the outcome, the "City of Blue Fire" will burn. Assassins are everywhere trying to eliminate Malazans and other foes, and the hounds howl over the toll of death. Behind the scenes of the night the Son of Darkness warrior ruler Anomander Rake of Black Coral tries to manipulate the various foes. Finally the night arrives when the city will never be the same as violence and the dance of death are everywhere.

Overall this is a strong Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen especially when the focus remains in Darujhistan; however when a subplot moves the story line to the distant Black Coral city, it loses some of its fast pacing in spite of Night of Darkness Anomander insidious plotting. Still this is an exciting entry as readers return to the City of Blue Fire for an epic battle between Gods competing for a seat at the supreme pantheon.

Harriet Klausner

Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is, in my opinion, the best fantasy series ever written. That said, this book is devastatingly disappointing. Erickson, ever fond of the roving point of view, takes it much too far in this one. We get entirely too many perspectives, from too many characters we don't really care about. And plot? I'm sure it's there somewhere, but it's so intricate and subtle that it's difficult to turn the pages. But the worst part about the book is this philosophical rambling Erickson has taken to. He waxes poetic on everything from capitalism to cornbread. It's totally pretentious, and it slows the story down to almost a standstill. I hope and pray that the remaining two books are better because it would be a tragedy if this magnificent series just fizzled out.

As someone who has read all 8 volumes of this series, I have come to some conclusions that I'd like to share with one and all.

First: all high fantasy novels need worldbuilding. It's a given. It must be done. And we the readers very often eat it up with delight. Well finally we have gotten what we deserved. It's worldbuilding gone completely mad, crazy and insane. It has entirely drowned whatever character or plot that may exist. Who? What? Huh?

Second: despite what that voice in your head might say, the abuse of the dramatic pause and foreshadowing is definitely not cool. To hint at something or someone that may happen later or end a chapter with a cliffhanger is understandable enough, but Erikson just abuses them like, well, insert your own favorite comedic popular culture reference here. Bad form, Mr. Erikson. You should try to create suspense by turning off some lights, not by poking out the readers' eyes. In the end I was not hanging onto your every word. I was just plain angry at such blatant manipulations and skipping pages ahead to get to what I want to know.

Third, a lot of people dying gruesomely does NOT automatically create heart-felt sympathy. People talking gravely about love and loss does NOT automatically generate pathos. These things actually take good writing, which is nowhere to be found. I must heartily applaud Mr. Erikson for continuing to try. But since it didn't work for the first hundred times, well...

Finally, the author must be paid by the word. Sweet deal, really, when you think about it. I mean this book can be written in less than 100 pages in the hands of someone else instead of the 800+ page monstrosity. Why would anyone do such thing -- assuming he has a sober editor -- unless he's getting paid by the word?

All the above atrocities abound in the first seven volumes, but at least during some stretches there were good stuff. In this one the insane have finally managed to overrun the asylum.

If I sound as bitter as a gold digger who lost the inheritance to a deserving charity, well so be it. At least I got the first seven volumes from the local library and only paid for this one. No more. No more.