Book Nine of The Malazan Book of the Fallen - Dust of Dreams

If you're contemplating buying this book, you've probably already read the first eight, and there's really nothing more to say. If you're enjoying the series so far, Dust of Dreams won't disappoint you.

This series that I'll read again. So many great people that make history in these books. Its hard not to miss a few things. This book is bringing back some of the people I get a kick out so I'm really enjoying it.

Simply amazing in the breadth and scope. If you've enjoyed all the previous books in the series, you will not be disappointed. For any looking to start reading the series: Be prepared to keep notes as there are so many characters that you may have to remind yourself who's who as you travel along with them.

If you are a fan of Fantasy Fiction this series is one of the best I have read. The world is creative and very well imagined and the characters come alive in the book. I highly recommend this to anyone who truly wants a good read with great characters and lots of comedy and drama.

I just can't do it. I tried; I really did. But after a couple of hundred pages... I've set it down. For the first time in more than 30 years of reading just about all the fantasy and scifi I could find, I've decided I really don't need to finish a series that I was initially quite excited about.

When I discovered the Malazan books two years ago, I was captivated. Mostly quite good, sometimes excellent writing; the myriad little connections and foreshadowings; an interesting and atypical philosophical underpinning; some really great worldbuilding with a depth and breadth of historical sweep that is simply breathtaking! And if the humor is a little stilted and artificial sometimes; if perhaps we don't need *quite* so many characters (or maybe even a whole novel for each set of characters...); if occasionally the internal chronology doesn't seem to hold up quite right... well, it's Erikson's project, let's see where he takes it and enjoy the ride.

I would read the negative reviews and shake my head thinking "You just don't get what he's doing; and that's such a shame, because you're giving up a great experience!" I welcomed the Tor.com re-read, which helped refresh memories about the early books and pointed me in certain directions in terms of how I have read and approached later ones.

Things took a turn towards darkness. Bonehunters: Dark... but ultimately pretty satisfying. Reaper's Gale, similar. Then came Toll The Hounds: maybe a couple hundred pages of plot, scattered amongst an extended meditation on the sentiment "All is vanity." It was worse than that though. Not content to passively let his readers drown in the Sea of Existential Misery, Mr. Erikson abandoned the "show, don't tell" guideline of fiction writing and proceeded to allow each of his characters to beat us repeatedly with the Rod of Despair: dozens of pages of depressive maunderings from each one. I made it through via judicious skimming (something I've hardly ever done on a first read), and a vague memory of having read somewhere in the Tor re-read that Mr. Erikson himself views that book as the psychological nadir of the series. Any project with this kind of scope has to suffer a bit here or there; look at some of those later Jordan Wheel of Time books for instance... So, things had to be looking up in Book 9, no?

Maybe they do. Maybe there are some brighter spots in the book. I gave Dust of Dreams almost 300 pages, which may as well have been 300 more pages of Toll The Hounds. A new set of mysterious characters, whose purpose seems to be to demonstrate, in yet dozens more pages of internal monologue and introspection, exactly how low human beings can sink. Humor which seems increasingly contrived the further into the series we go. Doom, gloom, and despair with no respite. We're off the track - plot is lost amid the character's psychological explorations. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust", we're all doomed, nothing matters.

I get it. I really do. I'm pretty sure I get what he's trying to say. But I don't need to get beaten over the head with it any more. I live in that world. I live in the world where people in positions of power act with the meanest of motives; where no good deed goes unpunished and we're all destined to die in the end; where actions always have unanticipated consequences and those consequences are frequently bad; where everyone talks about evil things all day long and the little good things that make life worth living go largely unremarked. We all live there.

I frequently like for my fiction to make me think. I like it to challenge me a little; offer a different perspective. But I also like it to help give me a little hope that maybe things can turn out right once in a while, and maybe not be even more persistently sordid and depressing than the real world. There are more threads in Western Culture - and other cultures - than the book of Ecclesiastes; other sentiments which uplift and have led to some of humanity's great achievements. I can get depression and existential angst every time I turn on the TV or walk into the urban high school where I teach. For entertainment, I'll move on... to something which entertains.

Ok so the first 5 books Id say in this series are OUTSTANDING. Tehol and Bugg, Kalam and Quick Ben, Whiskeyjack...oh poor whiskeyjack.

But the last TWO books have been...off. Im not saying there bad reads. But can we get away from all the sexual "Expression" and back to the story? Seed this and seed that and men on men, girl on men, small animals on men, and the torture and S&M and the...gahhh.

I had to skip parts of this book because it was not only sick, but pretty durn boring.

I think since the author killed off Whiskeyjack (one of the best characters in the series) he has lost his way. And it shows in the writing and content.

Hopefully we can get back to a good ending in 9 and 10.

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 eight 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. One book 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

After two novels that were rather disappointing for very similar reasons -- too much philosophy and too much time spent on incoherent and boring subplots that did not anything to the story -- Steven Erikson has bounced back and delivered a strong (though far from perfect) story that is the best since "The Bonehunters". While the previous novel spent its time in Darujhistan, "Dust of Dreams" takes place back on the continent of Lether, where the end is finally beginning. The Malazans begin holed up in Letheras after their conquest of the Tiste Edur, but they are quickly beginning their journey east into the Wastelands. Nobody knows what is out there and they do not know the enemy they are supposed to fight, but a reading from the Deck of Dragons tells them all it won't be good. Meanwhile, the story of the Barghast continues as the major subplot (while appearing at the end of "Reaper's Gale", they really have not been featured since "Memories of Ice"). The Shake also have a lot of time spent on them as they continue to try to find their way back home. A dozen other plotlines are also introduced, extended, or completed that feature essentially ever single race of creatures that have had a part in the series thus far -- T'lan Imass, Jaghut, K'Chain Che'Malle, Forkrul Assail, Eleint, Tiste Edur, Tiste Andii, Tiste Liosan, and about half a dozen gods. If there is any question that the story is beginning to wrap up, there won't be by the end.

More than ever, there is a lot of different things to keep track of, but Erikson makes it work as he has complete mastery over the plots and never loses control. Knowing he needs to wrap things up, less time is spent on soldiers sitting by a fire spouting philosophy (but there still is some of that) and more time is used on setting the stage for all hell to break lose. About halfway through the novel there were about dozen different things to keep track of, but by the end the author had narrowed them down to about five. While there is still a lot left to cover, there never is the fear that it won't all be adequately taken care of.

A lot of different important and crucial questions are asked in "Dust of Dreams". More than ever, the Bonehunters are spending time questioning Adjunct Tavore's motivations and leadership ability. There is never a single scene from her point of view, but a lot of the plot surrounds her and what she wants to do. She becomes much more of a fascinating character, a very closed person who doesn't let anyone in, haunted and in despair by -something-, yet altogether cunning and brilliant. Whether or not the Malazans can follow her, and whether or not she can maintain her alliances without any betrayal becomes a crucial part of the plot. A lot is also asked about whether an army can handle saving the world without anybody knowing they actually did it. The answer seems simple, but of course it ends up being much tougher than that. Finally, the novel deals a lot with the theme of extinction, as there are many different characters that are the last of a certain race, tribe, or people, which allows "Dust of Dreams" to be a lot darker than anything else Erikson has written.

As always with Erikson, there are many scenes that wring hollow. It can be very easy to tell when he wants you to feel a lot of emotion, almost as if he is pointing out that certain scenes are really important, and it only serves to make you roll your eyes. There are some subplots that introduce new characters (a bit odd, considering the point we are at in the series) but they aren't quite a dull as in the previous two entries. Once again, anything dealing with the Shake comes across as tiresome and pointless. It's the only subplot not really connected with the rest of the series at this point, and it isn't too interesting either. Erikson has made it more exciting than in "Reaper's Gale", but there isn't much to miss (so far) by simply skipping over those sections. It's a group of people trying to recover their lost past and looking for their home -- there's some promise there but none of it is found.

"Dust of Dreams" ends on a fairly massive cliffhanger, as Erikson warns at the beginning of the book. There's the right combination of wanting to know what happens along with a sense of accomplishment of what has been achieved. Erikson probably could have added another chapter to reduce the tension a bit, but the actual stopping point is as good as any. I think he's earned enough goodwill of not ending on cliffhangers in the first eight novels to get away with it this one time. But it is because of the cliffhanger that this novel doesn't quite reach the level of "The Bonehunters", "Midnight Tides", and "Memories of Ice". For the first time in two thousand pages, though, I felt like I was not let down by what Erikson gave. A combination of being at the point of wrapping everything up and not using his traditional storytelling arc makes "Dust of Dreams" bring back the excitement and wonder in the Malazan universe. If you made it this far and aren't excited by the finale, then you probably never will be.

4/5

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

The Bonehunters -- 4/5
Midnight Tides -- 4/5
Memories of Ice -- 4/5
Dust of Dreams -- 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

Dust of Dreams returns to the setting of Lether, picking up 6 months after the events of Reapers Gale with some additional convergence with the timeline of Toll the Hounds. Being the first half of a two-part conclusion, and given my feelings about the rest of the series, I was expecting to be less than impressed. However, strangely enough, this ended up being one of my favourite books in the series.

At this point i'll stress that I prefer character-driven stories. Complexity of story and a good plot are fine, and well-conceived action is always enjoyable, but they're not deal-breakers for me, I find that most of the time unless they're complementary to the characters i'll not be interested; hence why i'm not enthralled by the growing complexity of this series, nor vitriolic because of the slowing pace. So thus far I feel the series has been carried by the execution of plot and various other action scenes, as well as certain characters which i've found compelling.

However, in Dust of Dreams I found much more to like because, while the plot is meandering and very diffused, there's a greater focus on characters and, in particular, character conflict and how this shapes events. I think this combines with the fact that there's alot of characters which i've either finally settled with, was interested in before or which became interesting to me throughout this book. There's also a number of what I can only describe as action scenes spread throughout the book - these aren't necessarily fighting scenes, but events that happen throughout the book which create alot of tension, namely because of the effect these have on various characters.

If you're primarily interested in the plot, and thought the earlier books in the series with their much tighter plots were the better books, well, you'll probably be disappointed. If you prefer complexity and depth, you'll be excited. If you hate the whirlwind approach of skipping between characters, that's mostly gone in this book, though it does still occur when following certain groups - in particular, the Malazans, but at this point it didn't really bother me because I liked most of them. I'm also left with the impression that much of the introspection and internal thoughts that've become prominent since around the Bonehunters has been left out, although that could either be because it's focused on other characters or I didn't particularly mind most of it.

If you're interested in the overall story being told, then there are a number of new revelations here as well as the delivery on previous foreshadowing. Previously bewildering plots or character presences get purpose, and everything gets drawn tighter towards the conclusion of the series. These sorts of things add more interest to the series for me, as more of the world that's been developed so far is revealed, and while the relevance of it mightn't be quite clear it's engaging because 1) of what it means to the story being told and 2) it adds depth to already interesting topics.

All that being said, there are still some things I didn't like. Some sections of the story were still boring, with characters I didn't really care about or plotlines which didn't make much sense, but then again that's been the thing with this series - because of the scope it takes much longer to become engaged by characters, or for any discernible purpose. Another problem is some characters which, while previously somewhat dynamic, falling flat in what seems to be a poor attempt at comedy.

The last real problem I have is that the climax, while normally somewhere between 200-300 pages in all the previous books, is only ~100 pages at the end. It's somewhat of a shame, because this was probably one of the most epic endings, if not the most epic ending, of the series so far. It's left me with some grief, with certain characters dying and some of their fates left ambiguous, but the heroism of it is also moving. There are also a number of characters not involved in this final climax whose stories were highly engaging, in particular the way the characters themselves have changed.

In the foreword Erikson says the story ends on a cliffhanger, though it doesn't really feel like that, it just doesn't have the conclusiveness of all the other books. There's still some mystery, and if Erikson can build on the things I liked in Dust of Dreams, then this series might finally hook me, even if a little late in the series.

4/5

"Dust of Dreams", the ninth tale in "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" saga, adds a couple more characters to an already vast forest of individuals. As stated in the author's note, the novel does not follow the traditional arc and will not provide full closure but is the first half of a two-volume novel. Therefore several of the addressed character plots (many of the Bonehunters after a major battle) are not resolved. The clever Erikson superbly illustrates magical power and the strength of a charismatic presence. I especially enjoy the character names but the amusing banter can be a bit distracting.

K'Chain Che'Malle and the Elder Gods are major focal points. After Draconus' entrance and his travels outside of Dragnipur, I'm eagerly anticipating his story in the final novel. Karsa Orlong and Captain Paran do not appear and Icarium is briefly visited in a rather confusing manner. However, I think I grasp what the author, who has been exceptionally resourceful in his narration, conveys in a mildly excessive metaphysical and philosophical approach. But a few dialogues involving a gibberish slang dialect are extremely difficult to follow and greatly reduced my reading flow.

While I appreciate detail and depth, when a page characterization occurs I struggle to recall the description and nuances of a particular soldier from earlier in the series. The brief moments remind the reader the character exists, yet may not advance the plot per se. I am dismayed by the lack of appendix detail. Many names (which are very funny, such as Rumjugs) reveal an obvious gender, otherwise I must search the internet, hoping for any information without spoiling a character's outcome.

The mediocre map 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.

http://readfantasybooks.wordpress.com

Plot/Characters

This was the first time I have read the author’s note and I am glad I did. In Dust of Dreams, Erikson explains that unlike all his other books this one will end on a cliffhanger because these last two books were supposed to be one. That being said I wasn’t expecting a great ending like in all of the other books. I was wrong.

In Dust of Dreams we follow Tavore’s army, as well as the Letharii army led by Brys Beddit through the Wastelands. There is also the Perish army as well as the Khundryl and Bolkando who journey through there as well. For most of the book we don’t know why they are going through it, and they do spend the entire book in the Wastelands, so I was surprised to not find it at all boring. I guess with Fiddler, Quick Ben, Hedge, and Bottle I was pretty entertained. There was always some interesting thing going on because many of the soldiers were trying to figure out what was going on just like I was. I absolutely love following the Bonehunters! We also follow the Barghast who are led by none other than Tool and this part of the book was very engaging as well. I couldn’t believe what happens to Tool and his wife. It was just awful.

One thing I love about Dust of Dreams is that we actually get to follow around the dreaded K’Chain Che’Malle! It was incredible getting to know more about them; who they are and what they want, etc. Epic! You just have to discover this for yourself, but I will say their confrontation with their enemy at the very ending of the book was incredible.

Oh! and I will most certainly say that I just love Ubala Pung! He is quite a character and down right hilarious. I also really enjoy Tehol and Bugg as well. I just can’t get enough of them!

I suppose there is only one thing that I didn’t like about the book. The story line following “The Snake” wasn’t at all interesting to me. It was really sad no doubt, but other than that I didn’t much care for it. However, I stuck with it and read it all and I’m still not sure what the deal was with all the children. Maybe I missed something. I know they were running from something but it was all kind of weird. Also, the part about the Shake and Yan Tovis with her brother was kind of interesting, but other story lines were so much better. I guess it just depends on who your favorite characters are.

We can really see everything starting to come together by the end of the book and what an ending it was! It was definitely a cliffhanger and I am so glad that I have the next book already. After following the Bonehunters for so long and them getting into a battle at the end was incredibly epic, brutal, and down right nail-biting. OMG! I wasn’t expecting such an amazing ending! I really look forward to how Erikson plans on ending this massive series! I hope all questions will be answered.

Overall Thoughts

As I have said plenty of times before the biggest downfall of the series is way too many minor characters, subplots, and at times the utter confusion of the story. Nonetheless, it is still a great book and series. And just so you know Dust of Dreams is probably one of the most easy to read books of the series. I found it more straightforward than some of the other books though there are still many questions that need to be answered. The book was really entertaining and well written. I can’t wait to start the final book of the series!

My rating: 4.5/5 stars!

I am not a book critic by any means, but I must say this has been quite a ride through these books. I have enjoyed every page of Dust of Dreams, even the conversations between the soldiers who use words that I really believe would not be used by marines, sappers, and regulars of the Bone Hunter army. I am glad I did not find out about this series until all ten books had been written, so I did not have to go through the agony of having to wait for the Crippled God to come out, I could just jump right in. If you have not read this series or are just contemplating reading them make sure you start from the beginning with Gardens of the Moon, and be ready to settle back and immerse yourself into a great saga.

'Dust of Dreams' is the ninth of ten books in the Malazan series by Steven Erikson.

After 'Toll the Hounds' (TtH) I'd serious doubts whether one of my favorite fantasy/adventure authors had lost his touch. That particular book I found filled with philosophical musings that I had trouble following, almost to the point that I had trouble maintaining my interest. Some concerns regarding TtH were rekindled after reading the Prologue for this latest book, but those fears were soon laid to rest once I began the actual novel. Somewhere between book 8 and this volume Erikson's seems to have re-found his story telling mastery. The story told here was easy to follow and made sense; I didn't have to almost 'study' and decipher the text I did with 'Toll the Hounds'.

Again, as with all other novels in the Malazan series, this book begins with glimpses of several different characters and their stories; small snippets of tales that begin to draw together as you get deeper into the story.

We are also reacquainted with several Malazan regulars, those being Quick Ben, Fiddler, Adjunct Tavore, Tehol and Bugg to name a few. As well, there are many others characters, both old and new. The main story revolves around Adjunct Tavore and her Malazan army as they prepare for a mysterious trek across Lether. Tehol and Bugg were two of my favorite characters from books past; they are much more than they outwardly appear and they provide many moments of subtle humor in this book.

Two minor concerns/suggestions;

1.)While there is, for those who care, a map of the Lether Empire where most action in this novel takes place, some of side-tales occur in areas that aren't easily found (if indeed at all) within the confines of the map provided. Thus leaving the reader to guess as to the general locale of said stories.

2.)My only other wish for this book, (and previous installment of this series as well) would have been a slight change in the way the extensive list of characters, (the Dramatis Personae) found in the front of this book, was presented. It would have made it so much easier if the names within different groups or sects had been listed in alphabetical form. As it was, I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth between the story and the Dramatis Personae, trying to match characters, with odd sounding names, to their affiliation or sect. However this is a minor concern in an otherwise wonderful addition to the Malazan books.

Conclusion:

YES!...Steven Erikson IS back. This latest Malazan book has returned to the style that all of us (the Malazan fantasy faithful) have gotten to know and expect from previous novels prior to 'Toll the Hounds'. This book and the last (book 10), 'The Crippled God' are, according to the author's note, apparently linked. I can hardly wait for the final installment.
5 Stars.

Ray Nicholson

Steven Erikson, Dust of Dreams (Tor, 2009)

If you are prone to forget Steven Erikson's dry humor, just check the foreword to this book, where he begins, "I am not known as a writer of door-stoppers...". Every main book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen has been a door-stopper, and this one, which clocks in at 816 pages, is no exception. Continue reading the foreword and it seems as if Dust of Dreams, in the original, was a true monster; he ended up dividing the thing into two books. (Whether this means the Malazan Book of the Fallen will now run to eleven volumes or not I do not know. But one can always hope.) Be that as it may, a new book from Steven Erikson is always a treat; he's the only author going right now for whom I will drop everything else I'm reading to concentrate on one of his books.

We are coming to the close of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, and the myriad storylines that have woven through the series are all starting to come together. The final action, it seems, will take place in Kolanse, a previously-unexplored (by us, anyway) piece of the Letherii continent. The Bonehunters, when we last looked in on them, had just finished overthrowing Lether's government and installing Tehol Beddict as the new king. Tavore Paran, the top dog in the Bonehunters, knows something big is brewing, and calls together her top advisors, as well as ex-Bridgeburner sergeant Fiddler, for a reading of the Deck of Dragons. This turns out to be, shall we say, more eventful than expected, and also draws the attention of the Errant, one of Lether's elder gods who's not happy with the new pantheon (whom, we learn, are the offspring of the elder gods). The Bonehunters, as a result, end up readying themselves to march through the Wastelands to get to Kolanse, on the way meeting up with two old allies, the Perish Grey Helms and the Khundryl Burned Tears, who are on their way to Bolkando, a small, treacherous kingdom between Lether and Kolanse, as the book opens. Most of the action goes back and forth between the Bonehunters and the Perish, as expected, but Erikson is not done with some of those other old storylines, and we get those as well. The events of previous books have got everything in an uproar, after all. So we get Yan Tovis and Yedan Derryg, always at odds, leading the Shake across a Tiste Liosan warren to a long-dead city where they were supposedly born; we get the Snake, the rough equivalent of a Children's Crusade, traversing the wastelands to try and get away from the Forkrul Assail, who have massacred an entire continent's adults; we get the White Face Barghast, who have also found themselves in Bolkando, and who are unhappy with the way the Arkynnai traders have been treating them, leading to a war between the Barghast--now under the command of Onos Toolan--and the Arkynnai, which threatens to spill over into a war between the Barghast and the Bolkando. We follow the Elder Gods, on occasion, and find out what the Errant and his cronies are up to (and that can never be good). We get the final city of the K'Chain Che'Malle, presided over by an insane, dying matron, whose sole purpose in remaining alive is to try and carry on the K'Chain Che'Malle line, and has appointed a human destriant, whose goal is to find a Mortal Sword and Shield Anvil for the K'Chain Che'Malle. (Meanwhile, they're pursued by the K'Chain Nar'ukh, who would rather see the Che'Malle wiped out for good.) And what are those fourteen undead Jaghut up to, anyway?

If any of that didn't make sense to you, then go back and start reading the series with Gardens of the Moon. It starts slow, as do all of the Malazan Book of the Fallen entries, but once Erikson gets going, he really gets going. Some of the books in the series (Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides) are among the best fantasy novels I have ever read. None of the books is less than excellent, and Dust of Dreams is no exception. Erikson's superlative worldbuilding and micromanagement of a true cast of thousands (and I'm not just talking extras here; we're talking at least a thousand speaking parts over the course of the uncounted millions of words making up the series so far) has made this the best martial fantasy series since Elizabeth Moon's The Deed of Paksenarrion. And yes, I'm including George R. R. Martin in that survey. The only bad thing about the book is that it marks the beginning of the end of our decade-long relationship with the Malazan Empire, a place that feels as real as the ground outside your front door. **** ½

This is a mediocre book.
More and more new races and peoples are thrown in with no building whatsoever. Erikson has stopped developing characters, so anyone who has shown up in the past 4 books is as flat as the paper they appear on.
Still the plot goes forward.

Yet another army embarks on a journey to destruction.
Yet more godlike beings are introduced and killed off.
Yet more chapters about really weak characters who have no real bearing on the plot.

P.S. If your favorite plot thread does not show up in Dust, it will now show up in the final book. Many plot threads are just dumped.

I am very disappointed in this installment of the Malazan series. This is by far the most incoherent and confusing volume of the series. It's almost like SE had too much material for one book but not enough for two, so he invented several completely pointless tribes to write about random characters that seemingly add zero value to the overall story.
There were a couple of major developments, enough to keep the pages turning, but the phenomenal characterization seen with Bugg, Tehol, Karsa Orlong, etc. is missing in this book.
I sincerely hope book 10 is more like books 2/3/4 than books 8 & 9.

East of the Letherii Empire lies the Wastelands and the Glass desert where Malazan 14the Army Commander Adjunct Tavore leads her troops, the Bonehunters into exile. Joining them on their excursion is the Letherii imperial legions under the command of Brys Beddict. Expected to meet them are the Perish Grey Helms and Khundryl Burned Tears, but they are betrayed as they try to cross the Kingdom of Bolkando at the same time on the Ar'kryn plains while the Barghast White Face clans deal with treachery from within also. While all this military movement and treachery occurs, the Shake seeks their ancestral home the First Shore, which will cause an ancient reawakening.

As these various races of mortals and ascendants come together, the sky is on fire. Also as the heavens seem under a growing inferno, a god has escaped imprisonment to return to regain his lost power spreading Darkness over the continent. The allies know they go to war to die as the enemy is much more powerful, but ironically though they bravely face their mortality, each knows they fight to protect an empire that has exiled them.

This is the first of the a two part climax to the Malazan Book of the Fallen saga and though much of reaching the finish line will be in the last half, Dust of Dreams has plenty of action including a superb cliffhanger. There is the usual too much internal introspection by seemingly a zillion of the quadrillion cast, which makes keeping score as always complicated and convoluted. Still fans of the saga will enjoy the set-up as Steven Erikson seems ready to end the epic on a high note if the quality level of first part of the final duology is held up in part two.

Harriet Klausner

Reading Erikson will make your head reel with all of the characters, deities, places, ect. Wow! So picking up book nine I was let down in the beginning of the book because he introduces a slew of new characters. I trudged on got a grip on the new characters and was rewarded that in the last parts of the book were devoted to Tavore's Bonehunters. This book is part one of two so there is no closure like in previous titles, but the epic battle and slaughter in the books final moments more than make up for it. Cannot wait to read the final novel.

Dust of Dreams (2009) is the ninth Fantasy novel in The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, following Toll of the Hounds. The initial work in this series is Gardens of the Moon.

In the previous volume, Hood was decapitated and died. Kallor was delayed by Spinnock and Anomander was killed. The Trygalle Trade Guild made a delivery. The Taken were released and Dragnipur broken. Kruppe danced for K'rul and Fisher.

In this novel, Badalle is a child of the Snake in the desert. She, Rutt and many other children have been abandoned to walk through the Wastelands.

Tavore Paran is the Adjunct leading the Bonehunters. Her troopers have invaded the Empire of Lether and driven out the Triste Edur. Now they are preparing to march through the Wastelands to Kolanse.

Tehol Beddict is the King of Lether. His consort is Janath and His Chancellor -- Bugg -- is really the Elder god Mael.

Brys Beddict is a brother of Tehol and the commander of the Letherii army. Brys had been resurrected and raised from the sea deeps. He still remembers the experience.

Kalyth is the only survivor of the Elan. Now she is a Destriant for Matron Gunth'an Acyl. She is searching for a Mortal Sword and a Shield Anvil for the K'Chain Che'malle.

Tanakalian is the Shield Anvil for the Perish Grey Helms. He is young for his position. His Destriant is Run'Thurvian and the Mortal Sword is Krughava.

Gall is the Warleader of the Khundryl. They are allied with the Grey Helms and the Bonehunters, but are currently settled in the Bolkando Kingdom.

Onos Toolan is a T'lan Imass, but is the Warleader of the White Faced Barghast. He is married to Hetan and has three children: the twin teenaged girls Stavi and Storii and a toddler son.

In this story, Badalle is walking through the desert, blowing flies away from the sores on her mouth. She is chanting another poem and Saddic is memorizing it. Rutt is walking at the head of the line carrying Held.

Tavore is telling Tethol and his court that the Bonehunters are leaving. Brys has already realized their goal and offers to lead a Letherii escort to get them to the Wastelands. Bugg offers some advice about the kingdoms they will cross on the way.

Kalyth is also crossing the Wastelands with five K'Chain Che'malle. The Matron's only daughter is with them as well as three Hunters and a Shi'gal Assassin. Kalyth still has doubts about her mission, but lacks other paths to follow.

Tanakalian witnesses the death of Run'Thurvian. Now the Grey Helms do not have a Destriant. He notifies Krughava and then they leave to meet the Bolkando representatives.

Warleader Gall finds himself the leader of a Khundryl uprising. They have tired of the cheating Bolkando merchants and have slaughtered all that they can find. They have also overran the Bolkando forts and killed the soldiers.

The Barghast have raided the Ak'ryn bands and the annoyed Akrynnai are now hitting back. Onos Toolan has refused to lead his clan against the Akrynnai. He leads one hundred of his young men out to persuade them to hold back their raids.

He convinces them to restrain their men, but another Barghast leader finds this group. He is willing to kill them all in order to win the leadership of the Barghast. Onos Toolan recognizes his intentions and forces one of his young men to stab himself in the heart.

This tale takes multitudes into the Wastelands from various directions. These trekkers encounter ancient remnants, enemies, and each other in the desert. The conflicts are epic in size and consequence.

This novel is the first half of the concluding volume of this series. The final installment is The Crippled God.

Highly recommended for Erikson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of epic fantasy, armed combat, and interesting characters. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

It feels like SE was in a pretty dark place when he wrote this one. It has an overall feel of sadness, sometimes hoplessness. But the story is still amazing. This one answers a lot of questions but generates even more. Some crushing losses that left a serious lump in my throat, only characters this masterfully written could cause this level of emotion. SE is a master story teller.

i am very disapointed in this novel...i dont know of another series that has introduced so many players and then in the end kills them off...i invested all the time and energy in reading this series and for what...so he can bring them back as undead and then use them again...doubt i will bother reading the last novel as it has ended for me with this one

I confess that I began reading this series with the hopes of finding something close to the epic storytelling of George.R.R.Martin or Robin Hobb, and at first it had all the elements for it, interesting plot if you could get through the first 2 books, original characters, amazing world with plenty of very imaginative cultures, and so on.

Sadly he lost his way along the proverbial way, or lost his original editor, or maybe one of his characters decided he had traveled enough for two lifetimes and knocked him in the head with a club, or maybe it was a Warren, after all those things seem to be able to do anything Mr. Erickson wants them to do.

I read the series in a row up to book 9, I think that gives me some perspective about it's chronology and consistency, and here is my rant, not really a review since its so FULL of SPOILERS:

- The magic doesn't have a set of rules that are the base to all its further applications through the books. At first the Warrens were realms completely different from each other with their unique aspects, after a few books Mr Erickson decided they served the plot better if there were extension of elder Warrens, and instead of the extensions being unique, they are flavors of each other's, Tellan being originally de Warren of Time but not really since now it's the Warren of Fire, which in turn its a cousin of Tyr which is also fire, so you don't really have one but two Warrens of Fire, only the single applicationand of Tellan seen in the books transforms the Imass in inmortal, something you would expect a time warren to do. Shadow is really a broken piece of Kurald Emurlah only it travels around (because Warrens can travel, but only some of them) and turns out they can also talk, but none of this matters in any way to the story, it doesn't move the plot forward, and I can't be completely sure of any of this because I'm still missing the 10th book, and perhaps I'll find that by then he has already changed it again.

-There were 7 Hounds of Shadows, this very strong, unique creatures that were particular to the realm of Shadows alone. Then we found out that there are Hounds of Dark, that somehow can be combined with the essence of the Hounds of Shadows? The hounds of Dark were the creation of Dessimbelackis, or maybe he became a Di'ver and that is his actual form, but in someway they superseded the hounds of shadows, which are supposed to be much older. And, wait for it, there are Hounds of Light too, not that it matters in any way to the story, except to create artificial suspense, or the anticlimactic convergences that Mr. Erickson likes to use so much.

-Why did Kallam gave the freaking Apocalypse book to Shaik, knowing all the consequences that it would bring? I know there was a reason but strong enough to justify it? Did he experienced any remorse for being the indirect cause of the Chain of Dogs? Someone like Martin would have capitalized on that but from Erickson all we get is Herboric with pages and pages of internal mononologues about the nature of religion and whether he deserves what he has or not. And do you want a more pointless arc than Felisin and the Whirlwind? After a book of an interesting journey and becoming Shaik, it all kinds of fizzles and ends up being about whether her sister is cold iron and she is hot iron, and cold iron always wins against hot. REALLY? I was expecting an explanation about what the hell that theory was, but there was none.

- Whatever happened to Whiskeyjack and the Bridgeburners after their Ascension, did it served any purpose as far as the story concerns or it was just for kicks? What about the forced love interest between Paran and Silverfox, she completely disappeared after being in one, perhaps 2 books total. There was a First Empire from the Imass, but there was also another from Dessimbelackis, and last but not least ANOTHER first empire, this time from Kallor. Whatever happened to the Grey Swords and Toc the Younger, he spent a whole book lost, then another book being tortured, and another one mostly prisoner to die oh so very pointlessly at the end, which is another example of Mr Erickson introducing characters just for the sake of filling pages, either that or after a while he simply doesn't know what to do with them anymore. What the hell was the Tyrant of Darujistan and why where people so afraid of him in the 8th book? Wasn't Mother Dark crazy from a device that the K'Chain Che'Malle sent into her Warren before their supposed extinction, as a means of vengeance for their total annihilation to de hands of the Andii? I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere in there.

I could go on, but I think this illustrates my point. Somewhere along the way the author forgot that the first rule of any good tale is show, don't tell. This series could be less dense and yes, less boring, if it had fewer character, fewer monologues and specially, an editor that could point out the enormous amount of inconsistencies it has. Why the need to ad superfluos characters at every turn, and why are they all philosophers, from the street thug to the soldier to the priest? Will I ever have a satisfying conclusion to the story that isn't forced or totally anticlimactic? I don't think so. But maybe all this extra fluff is there for a reason, and that reason is that if Mr Erickson wrote exclusively about the main theme of this series, he would never have been able to write even 5 books of the stuff.

It's book one of a two part book. My only gripe is that I want more. Darn you for this cliffhanger Erikson. Even though he apologizes, it doesn't soften the blow. Get The Crippled God at the same time, it is a real necessity.

Got this book as a surprise Christmas present...my wife ordered it from the UK. Excellent!
Like most of the books in the series there are some slow spots, but the last 100 pages were so intense as to be breathtaking!!

While I am a fan of the series, the series should not have been 10 books. With some editing it could have been a remarkable series and ended in 9.
Dust of Dreams was a tough read. Gone was the humor and character development that made the series so good early on. More new characters are introduced, and they are just unwanted at this point, and there is nothing appealing about them. Skimming is the best way to get through this book. Very disappointing conclusion to a promising series. Though it is possible he can turn it around with the final book.

I know that the Malazan books are mostly about the futility of war and human struggle but this book was a struggle and a war to read. It took me an entire year to finish this book and only because I really, really forced myself to, something I would not do for every author out there.

First off, I have loved every book in this series and I went into this book knowing that Mr. Erikson is a slow starter, but half way through this book I was left wondering if anything at all would happen in this book, anything at all. And no, nothing really happened, a few players behind the scenes were revealed and that is about it. Mr. Erikson has a habit of having strong, vivid characters pop up out of nowhere in his books but in this book minor characters that were incredibly boring and really did nothing to further any part of the plot popped up every other chapter, it was infuriating. This was (nearly) 1000 pages of stubborn, challenging, reading that was more frustrating than anything.

If Mr. Erikson's intent was to bring the reader down to the level of boredom and misery as his characters in Dust of Dreams then he indeed succeeded in reaching that goal.

When i saw that this book was coming out 6 months earlier in the UK than the US, I called my brother in Ireland and told him to pick it up there and send it on to me ASAP. It arrived 5 days ago, and at almost 900 pages it was just a joy to behold. I managed to finish it in 4 days and the reson it took so long ;) was that I just wanted to savor it as much as possible, especially after the foreword warning about cliff hangers. And let me say up front, this book has some nail-biting cliff-hangers!
I absolutely love this series! Sure, it is difficult to follow sometimes and frequent trips to previous volumes are required to jolt the memory of this character and that event (in fact, i am now re-reading Toll the Hounds just to make sense of some things I read in DoD). But the way SE can bring all these disparate story lines together still amazes me.
As I alrady mentioned, this book is a hefty tome, 900 pages of battles, philosophy, plots and betrayals, and I was captivated from the first chapter. Characters that were distant memories suddenly returned, and the story arc of the K'Chain Che Malle was amazing and left me questioning many of my preconceptions. There is a lot of philosophical banter among the characters, but this is a hallmark of SE and I have come to appreciate some of the gems he manages to introduce.
It's hard to say much more about this book without adding spoilers, and I don't want to do that. But suffice to say that this book is everything I hoped for and I await with bated breath for the conclusion of one of the best fantasy series of all time.

Book 9 of 10 in Steven Erikson's acclaimed Malazon Book of the Fallen starts out with a caveat. This is NOT a complete story arc. Be WARNED!

With that, it was excellent with a much different feel than some of the previous books. The beginning shot off like a canon - you felt blurred and a bit confused dealing with all new characters in all new settings.

During the bulk of the reading however, it dealt with many more mundane side stories and was a little more "boring" than previous books. (see caveat above). The characters muttered and muddled about talking about death and war and peace and had little soap operas about this and that. You saw people you never expected to see again and they did unexpected things. Then there was a horrific violent scene or 3 that set the dark tone.

Then the convergence. Which in previous books had lots of death and violence and gods and ascendents. This one did too, I suppose. But it almost happened as an accident. And worst of all - you don't really know who died! No resolution for us, dear reader. Well, not much really - just more questions.

If you hate cliffhangers - you really might want to wait till the second half of the book (The Crippled God - Book 10) comes out. After all, you have spent up to a week of your life reading this series, don't wreck it now! If you can't wait, read it slowly and digest thoroughly.

Forget the negative reviews. If you enjoyed previous installments of the Malazan series, then you will find Dust of Dreams to your liking. Erikson promptly explains that Dust of Dreams is the first half of the last book, so I was not upset or surprised by the abrupt ending. I am just waiting for The Crippled God with more of a sense of anticipation.

Anyone that enjoys the Malazan books will truly appreciate the newest novel. Once again Steven Erikson demonstrates his considerable writing skill. His characters leap off the page facing new challenges as this series further explores the Malazan Empire.

Why is the mass market paperback cheaper than the Kindle edition? What that means to me, is that I'll get it from the library. And then instead of some more money the publisher gets no more money. And if the library is a hassle, I'll find a pdf. I'm not buying physical books any more. And I won't pay more for an electronic copy who's only cost is distribution, which is a fraction of a cent, than a printed physical copy. This is ridiculous.

As a massive fan of this series I can honestly say that despite the cliffhanger this book is one of the best. From the short and fast verbal bantering to the long poetic inner monologues Erikson weaves a tale of betrayel as well as showing us what humanity is capable of, both good and bad.

I'm a long time fan of this series, and still consider Deadhouse Gates to be one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read. But the downward trend in characterization, coherence, and common sense that has become increasingly obvious the last few books has really become too much in Dust of Dreams.

It's boring. I found I had to skip ahead vast amounts, usually in vain, to find some action to grab my interest, some attempt at humor that was actually funny, or some explanation of why I should care about yet more new characters inexplicably introduced in the ninth book of a ten book series.

It's pointlessly depressing. In past books, characters we cared about often had bad things happen to them for reasons tragic, ironic, or at least serving the plot. Those made me choke up, made me care, and sometimes made me righteously angry at other characters in the book. Good stuff. Here we have a lot of death that seems purely random and serving no purpose at all. Did anyone at all care about the Barghast after their only significant appearance in the third book? Of course not. Was anyone calling out for their reappearance in book nine? Endless pages describing stupid internal squabbles? Their ultimate fate, and the simply disgusting treatment of Hetan? I kept hoping to find something to tie this inexplicable interlude into the larger plot involving the Malazan 14th Army or the machinations of various gods and others, but it's not there. I can only guess Erikson couldn't get an S&M novella about primitive tribal cultures published independently and folded it into Dust of Dreams as some sort of misguided form of "artistic" expression.

It's not well integrated into the overall story. New characters/nations/factions, most of whom are boring and pointless even here and can't possibly be necessary to the completion of the series in the next book; "new" supposedly extinct races, for the 193rd time, with no foreshadowing whatsoever in previous books; and random flailing around by those actors we did know about from prior efforts in the series. I have no doubt whatsoever that I could write a two page synopsis of the events in this book that would enable one to transition smoothly from book 8 to book 10.

No one's motivations make sense. In the middle of this series I developed a strong distaste for the philosophizing that was overly dramatic and masturbatory to aspire to the title "sophomoric," but this books makes me wish it would come back - then at least I'd have some explanation for why anyone would choose to do the things they do in this book, and, even less explicably, why others follow them. (I'm looking at you, Bonehunters.)

This is not the worst book in the world, but it is the worst book in this series so far, a title I sincerely hope it retains after the release of book 10. This series has overall been interesting and sometimes extraordinary. If you've been a fan before, you should still read this book. Just don't feel the need to take it too seriously or read it all. Skimming will lesson your pain considerably.

The book arrived in condition described by seller. Shipping was a little slow considering it was to an address in the same state. However, the seller did state 10-15 days as their shipping time and stayed within that limit.