The Malazan Book of the Fallen 10 - The Crippled God

I have purchased every book of steven erikson of the tales of the malazan. they have been very interesting reading. I have not found book eight or nine, must have missed them. I would love to purchase them if they can be back ordered.

Please note - while I try not to give anything away, there may be minimal spoilers in this review

So I have always had mixed feelings about the Malazan series. Sometimes, I feel like I am reading some of the best fantasy available. Other times, I can't figure out what the heck I am reading. Some of the characters (Karsa Orlong, Icarium, Anomander Rake) are amongst the most interesting and powerful characters I have ever encountered in fantasy - and I mostly read fantasy. Other characters are annoying and uninteresting - including many of the Malazan regulars.

But that is a critique of the series in general, and not necessarily of this book. It too contains these factors, but also serves as the climax of the Malazan series (although I recently read that there will be a considerable number of books still on the way based on the Malazan world - not sure if that is true or not). As a climax, it is pretty powerful. The emotion, the struggles, the power, the misdirection - its all here in The Crippled God. Moreover, though there are twists and turns, I found this book a lot easier to follow than some of the other. Some of the scenes are heart wrenching, and many of those I had come to love were lost. Additionally, many of the questions left over from older books in the series are finally answered. Beyond that, we get a first hand look at all of the ancient races together - the Jaghut, the Imass, the K'chain Che'malle and Forkrul Assail are all heavily represented in this book. Finally, many of our old favorites play major roles in this book - I won't list them all for fear of spoiling too much.

That said, the book suffers from some of the weaknesses of the series (at least, the weaknesses I perceive - others may disagree). First of all, many characters that have been built up as being extremely important have minimal roles in this book. One big complaint is that Karsa Orlong barely shows up. Its my understanding that he will play a major role in the upcoming Esslemont book. However, after being such an integral part of this series, I wanted to see him with a major role to play in this book, not 5 pages worth of indirect involvement. Another character complaint is that Draconus does a few things, and effectively disappears the rest of the book. This might just be a complaint from a biased reader (I find those characters to be two of the more interesting in the series), but when an author puts so much time into his readers getting to know a character, it seems a bit unfair to leave us hanging for another series that most of us were unaware was coming.

There were some additional dislikes on my part. The scenes between soldiers can be quite tedious - a common complaint throughout the series. Finally, though the climactic battle scenes were huge and brilliantly detailed, the book ends quite abruptly. The scene at the end reminded me of the reunion in the Ewok Village at the end of Return of the Jedi - all our favorite heroes just standing around talking a bit, and cue the music.

While that might seem like a lot of complaints, I still see this book as a success. Moreover, I think it made me appreciate this monumental series all the more. So many key pieces clicked into place, while some are still shrouded in mystery. When I first read Gardens of the Moon years ago, I wasn't sure I wanted to read another book in this series. I'm extremely glad I did. Erikson does a fantastic job of capturing the dual nature of humankind, and I was suprised how many times I felt "moved" in reading this book. While some of the more subtle commentary the series offers may have been lost on me, I am extremely glad to have been a "witness" to the last march of the Bonehunters.

So four stars for a book that was the perfect ending for an imperfect series...

I really enjoyed the Malazan books and this last one was no exception.
It followed the standard Malazan format, but I felt that this one did not lag as much as some of the previous ones.
In the past it has taken me many months to finish one of the books, but this one seemed to fly by. There are some superb scenes with characters that have not interacted in many books and this made it feel like some of the earlier books (which are some of the best).

There are some issues of course with how the crippled god turns out, but overall I cannot recommend this enough especially if you have read the previous books in the series.

A good story should make you laugh, cry, get angry, swear out loud, take you to the edge and back...and this story did all of that.
All the while I was anxious to finish and know how it all ended, but at the end...well, I would have liked to read much more.
Excellent story, characters are perfect, just a brilliant masterpiece.

Damned Fiddler just broke my heart...

I really enjoyed reading this series although Erikson's universe of places, players, etc, is so vast that he wasn't able to wrap up all the myriad of story lines and he warns the reader of this fact in a written statement at the beginning of book 9 (or 10). Reading the series, there were times when I thought certain things to be chronologically out of order. At least two of the books could have been released before instead of after the one I had just read. It still worked well enough to have me read the whole series, whereas, I almost gave up on Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series somewhere in the middle bc I got so bored. Tg I didn't bc the last few were so excellent thanks to Brandon Sanderson. Anyway, Erikson was commissioned to write 9 for under 1 million Euros, I read somewhere. I believe they sure got their money's worth out of him...

I have never read through ten books this quickly. This last Book of the Fallen is an epic conclusion to a tale that is equally exciting, humorous, tragic, and full of hope that heroes can be real. Play on, Fiddler.

Erikson is by far my favorite fantasy author. His Malazan Book of the Fallen is such a huge sprawling series that you can't help but admire what he has accomplished. Why? Because he wrote a book a year at nearly 900 pages each and every single one is a winner. Repeat. Every single 900 page book in this 10 book series is a winner. The Crippled God easily stands on its own two feet as you see the conclusion to this much loved series.

It seems that virtually all loose ends were tied up. The Tisti Andii, The Bonehunters, The Bridgeburners, The K'chain Che'Maalle, the Letherii, Forkrul Assail, numerous and many gods, big and small. Virtually nothing was left untouched. We get to see the Adjunct struggle through an uncrossable desert to meet a most implacable foe. The Forkrul Assail themselves are powerful and leave the reader in awe and wondering what will happen when the forces of the two sides eventually meet in battle. More importantly we get to see the return of some important characters who seemed to have been lost in previous books, and with them the great power that they wield.

The story itself met a logical if convoluted end, eventually tying together nicely. Some things leave you frowning only to accept it as believable because, after all, this is Erikson and the most audacious and over the top plot twists seem absolutely real and acceptable within the world that he created. I don't know how many times I chuckled with his wit, or shed a tear at the heartbreaking and moving scenes. My only complaint is that you don't see two notable characters (Icarium and Karsa) take other than bit roles that are nothing more than a couple of pages max each. They represented such a great part of the previous books that I so wished I would have seen more of them here,

All in all I couldn't have been more pleased than I was with The Crippled God. I am left sad that the series is over, that I will not be able to lose myself for another 900 pages. That being said I cannot wait to start the whole series over again with a fresh set of eyes, now fully aware of who the characters are and what importance they have to the series. With this new outlook I am sure that the second read through of the series will be richer than the first. Bravo Erikson!

5 stars.

I've read the entire Malazan series, and this last book is a very weak conclusion. Without writing a book about the book, here are the flaws that bothered me:

Many lose ends are not tied up. Without giving things away, many major characters from past books are not even mentioned and left hanging, or get very light treatment in the last book which doesn't do justice to the build up over the series, and that is putting it mildly. I'm guessing this was done to support a bevy of new books outside the main series, but I'm going to pass on them.

Abrupt personality changes of the characters between books has been a weakness of this series and it continues here. In fact, its worse in this book as one of the main bad guys turns out to be a good guy all along with only the weakest explanation as to what the heck just happened.

For a significant number part of this book, most of the characters are wondering why they are there, what they are doing, and where they are going. In this the reader can empathize with them.

The ending, other than killing most of the characters off, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. A lot of actions are unexplained and it really doesn't answer why what has been taking place for the last 10 books had to take place.

The second book is probably the best of the series, my recommendation is to read that as a standalone book and leave it at that.

I find this last book in Steven Erikson's malazan book of the fallen top slow pace. What do I mean by that? Well about 700 pages og this book is mainly about walking, whining, thirst and philisophy while the remaining pages are awesome. However I got less answers than I expected which, for me, kinda destroyed the total reading experience of the entire series. It's still worth reading all ten books but keep this in mind... 3.5 stars for this book and 4/5 for this series Because the crippled god didn't finish off the series as I would like. I would recommend that you alsl read Esselmonts books (like malazan novels and Dancer's Lament) by the way! I find Esselmont writing more intersting ( faster pace, less whining and less philosophy) and the stories is still very good!

Making an the store review of the last book does not make justice of this story.

It's amazingly well written, it's heart clenching and yet knows how to be light at times. This is a story about perseverance, compassion and cruelty. This is a story that will see you grow.

PS: Only advised if you're ok with magic, dragons and Gods related themes. Also pass your way if all you want is a cliche Fantasy book with a shiny hero and a damsel in distress, this is not for you.

Very complex and challenging series -- thoroughly enjoyed and have already re-read the earlier books in the series. The Malazan world is vivid, characters are as real as your next door neighbour, story-telling is sophisticated and mature. Best fantasy fiction available.

And ever finished as well. But fear not, the Malazan story is not over, thank goodness. I don't do rehash reviews so suffice to say this was my favorite book of the ten, maybe because so many story arcs were brought to fruition and some sense of completion came to many of my favorite characters. Some tales are obviously yet to be completed, as the emphasis was on the Crippled God and the Bonehunters finishing their business. That there will be further Malazan books is the best news I've ever had, but this series has been wrapped up quite well and satisfactorily, and isn't that quite a change from the other epic fantasy series. Steven Erikson did it, wrote an entire huge epic series and did it on time. Plus it just happens to be the best one of all. As another reviewer said so well, this series is worthy of many rereads and future study. It's long but it's also deep and wide. Thank you Steven Erikson for writing and completing the greatest epic fantasy series ever written.

Oh, and thanks also for the great idea of offering the hardbound and paperback at the same time. I hope that idea catches on.

As with all his earlier books this was a fascinating read. The characters and settings are engrossing and I found it hard to put down. Not a book for the faint hearted though as there are numerous characters and a knowledge of the earlier novels is pretty much a given to fully appreciate this novel.

This is a great series of fantasy books. The characters are well developed, the storyline is complex and there are genuine surprises. There are good, bad and grey characters throughout. I liked that there is a definite end to this series. Only down side to this series is the huge number of characters. There are literally dozens of major characters that appear across the whole series.

2nd time through and almost as sweet as the first. So many disparate characters and themes interspersed with interesting social commentary. Solid world building. I probably missed quite a few threads and honestly, I'm still impressed with the scope and depth and even thankful for the reticence in explanations.

Time to get back to livin'...

The malazan boks of the fallen have taken me from my mid-20s to my late 30s. In a way it has been one of the few constants during that period. I loved this whole series, the characters that you felt you got to know personally, the twists and turns, the pathos and the joy. The 10th book is amazing, just finished it 2 hours ago and my overarching feeling? Sadness that this fantastic series is over. Thank you mr. Erikson.

***Minor Spoilers in the Article***
Steven Erikson's Magnum Opus finally comes to an end! Gardens of the Moon was first published in 1999 back when Fantasy was still looked down upon and faithful readers had trouble finding Fantasy books in their neighbourhood bookstore. One of the reasons the status of Fantasy has a better status these days is the series of books that came after the Gardens of the Moon. It is because of this series that Fantasy has gained the kind of respect that it has these days. True, Erikson has his issues with grammar, pace and style. BUt no one can deny the ambition of his work. What Erikson lacks in some areas, he more than makes up with the depth of his characters and the sheer scope of his works.

With that, let us get in to the final book of the series. The Dust of Dreams ended with the Bonehunters(Supposedly one of the primary protagonists, do not enter the frame until the fourth book) mauled badly by the Nahruk armies, almost by accident and the Shake returning to Kharkanas. As is typical of any Malazan book, the first part of the book is essentially set up. Although, perhaps because of the need to cram in so much in a single novel, the action begins early with the Great war between Darkness and Light... and then everything goes up like a Cusser on steroids with the Bonehunters' last March and the Shake's last stand. Erikson throws in a little bit of the Tiste Andi, the Soletaken, the return of the Jaghut, Forkrul Assail, Imass, the Elder Gods, Draconus, Icarium, the Bridgeburners and the K'Chain Che'Malle, some favourite characters from previous books to really create a mother of a Convergence and a heart wrenching climax to the series. Between all this Gods die, charaters we thought were dead come back one last time, betrayals occur and some fantastic set pieces unfold. Like others have said, many threads fom the early books find a neat resolution. However, there are plot threads that are still unresolved, but they are not major and expect to be taken care of in the upcoming novels by Esselmont and Erikson. Kruppe's and Karsa's return was great. Kruppe was hilarious after a long time. I think Erikson over indulged in Kruppe after Gardens of the Moon which was one reason why some of the later books were not as fantastic as the rest. But, this time with little time left for tautological philosophization that hobbled the second half of this series, this is the best Malazan book since the Memories of Ice. That said, my grouse(only) with the final installment is the potrayal of the Assail.They make very straightforward antagonists and some of the battles with them are anticlimatic, perhaps because there was only so much space & time available. Other than that the Crippled God is a satisfying resolution to arguably the greatest Fantasy series ever. Did I mention that Ganoes Paran finally returns? and that Quick Ben and Kalam are fantastic. Oh by the way, We still don't know what happened to Laseen!

The Crippled God was everything you wanted in an series ending book and then some!! There where so many "OMG" moments, so many "Hell Yeah" moments and so many "tear jerker" moments in this final book. Most of the little strings SE wove thru out this series were tied up in TCG. Steven Erikson is a master at EPIC fantasy and no one can compare!!!!!

Another spell binding novel by one of the greatest fantasy fiction writers I have found. I don't know if this is the end of the series or not. Certainly it will not be the end of the series for anyone having read earlier editions and I am sure it will remain as a notable epic on my shelf for years to come.

I really did enjoy the malazan series, more than I expected. Memories of ice, was my favorite book by far in the series, dust of dreams being my least favorite. I wanted more from the ending, a few characters I wish played a bigger role... karsa! Overall I'm happy with the ending and will read this series again in the future minus dust of dreams, never again will I read that one. If you're thinking about reading this series, DO IT, it is well worth your time

Would not recommend this series beyond book one. Too many characters, needless sights, poor fluidity, and does not set a good view of what is happening. I like the overall idea, but not how it was delivered.

I laughed, I cried, I laughed and cried, I screamed in frustration and I shouted in surprise. All that and more went on while I read this massive but perfect ending to this wonderful series. While some questions where left to our own imaginations, most of the threads of this series found some type of conclusion. From what I understand and have read, there will be a continuation of these characters in some form or another, so I am not worried by those threads that were left dangling. The only thing I could wish for was to have the previous books much closer to memory. I would advise that you at least have read the last 4 books to have a good idea of what is actually happening. All in all, a very satisfying read, I could not put it down.

Starts off slow, like all the books in this series. But, by the end, we're traveling at break-neck speed -- hardly able to turn the pages fast enough. Loved how all the plots played out. Excellent capstone to the series.

So many different characters and each one with their own purpose in the outcome. Spectacular series, wish it never had to end. When I'd did end I thought he did an awesome job bringing it together unlike a lot of other series I've read.

I considered simply putting this book aside in the first several-hundred pages. Point-of-view narrative changes were happening every 2 pages on average (like toll the hounds). Erikson seemed to move between nearly all of the 40 or more characters he is following by this point, 2-3 at a time, each cycle around, often filled with odd monologues/internal musings, nonsensical conversations, etc. I skipped some pages midbook. You also may run into simply not remembering who some folks are. I read dust of dreams almost 18 months ago, some things have faded. At any rate, a book structured like this one early on by a new author probably would never get published and if it were me reading it would certainly never get finished. Not sure why erikson cannot just let most of his characters wait until they have something useful to contribute. When you are just getting a few pages a shot at each character point of view, you never get into the character himself. It would be interesting to see a hard analysis of narrative changes in this story and see how fragmented it is.

Matters become much better focused towards the end. Many major plot threads are resolved. Some aren't, though I don't know what he and esselmont intend to write about in the future.

Also, to his great credit, erikson ends his story when he said he would. I cannot easily name an epic fantasy author that has done this in my lifetime. There is almost unlimited potential for other stories in this setting but the main plot threads are gone.

All in all, the 10 books + 2 esselmont (haven't gotten stonewielder yet) have been well worth it, and certainly among the best military fantasy I have ever read.

Story gets 2 stars, due to crappy narrative structure that drove me to distraction. Plot and resolution of some plot threads gets 4 stars. averages to 3 stars.

Erikson finished the series he started years ago, and true to his word he left some issues unresolved. He managed to close out a few stories that I never thought to see a conclusion to and created questions for others. Overall the book was action from cover to cover and quickly became my favorite book in the series. I did feel some deaths were pointless and rushed, or in one case impossible to have occurred the way it did, but still a fitting end. Never knew it would end this way, especially with how the series started.

This is, without any doubt, the best series I have ever read.
the last book, THE CRIPPLED GOD, is the best one of the ten. so many epic events and unforgettable moments.
A must read for any fantasy lover.

When Erickson writes an ending, he really writes an ending! There was nothing in this concluding chapter of the World of the Malazans that wasn't exactly on point. With so many important characters, it wouldn't be inconceivable for some to be short changed, but not in The Crippled God. Erickson isn't afraid to make his characters suffer, and the reader suffers along with them. But when the triumph comes, and it does in an unexpected and fulfilling manner, then the reader feels the triumph just as strongly. Now, I'll go back and read the whole series all over again!