Stefan's Reviews > The Bonehunters

"And so we weep for the fallen. We weep for those yet to fall.
And in war the screams are loud and harsh and in peace the wail is so drawn-out we tell ourselves we hear nothing."

Can a sixth book in the series have a 'second book syndrome'?
Syndrome where book serves as a bridge we need to cross in order for the story, plot and characters to move forward? A bridge from introduction in the first book towards final conclusion?

Considering how three out of five books so far were a constant introduction of new characters and new settings, where story and world were developing - outward and inward - when I look back from where we came from, pause and try to figure out where are we heading, it seems to me that this book have everything we need in order to say it suffers from that second book syndrome.
Especially when I think about second half of this book.

Now, I’m not one of those naysayers of this issue, it’s actually not an issue for me, at all.
I understand why authors need this bridge, especially if series are far shorter, like in trilogies.
Introductions so far, for Erikson, were almost stellar. He has this ability to suck you in, in the world, in the setting, with the characters and their stories, no matter how new and strange and different from previous books they were.
And with those introductions stories in them moved forward and we went fluently with them.
Who would say that almost three years have passed since the beginning of the story in Gardens of the Moon?
And yet, in book before this one we had an introduction. In book before that one we had an introduction as well.

And this is the book that finally gathers around parts of all those worlds in previous five books and they finally get to introduce themselves to each other. We finally see convergence of different worlds.
But, it’s too early for conclusions. In words of Achilles: "It's too early in the day for killing princes."
Sort of speak.
So, in my opinion, second half of this book has this syndrome. It (necessarily) prolongs and it’s far too long.
And, unfortunately, some of the characters suffer because of it.
(Quick Ben, where art thou?)

Story.

I would divide this book in two parts.
First is pre-siege of Y’Ghatan and second… well, the consequences of it.

14th Malazan Army is on Seven City continent, with Adjunct Tavore Paran, Fid, Kalam, Quick Ben, Gelser, Stormy, Truth, Bottle - and with the rest of the amazing Bonehunters - across the Raraku Desert they pursue what remained of Shaik rebels; hurrying to finally suffocate the rebellion, while, at the same time, desperately trying to outrun ‘Mistress of Pestilence’ and goddess of plague – Poliel.
Which leads them to the siege of Y’Ghatan, an unprepared night attack, and fiery inferno that will follow.
This siege is 150 pages long single chapter. It’s a beautifully structured novella inside of this novel.
It’s emotionally exhausting and gut-wrenching, but it delivers on so many levels. You will have so many new characters to root for.

Also, characters that have an appearance are former Captain Ganoes Paran, who is back from his retirement and has a few pairings, one of which is with Apsalar. Which was quite interesting given their history and I have to admit, I actually like this pairing. A lot.
Apsalar is in company of two ghosts, Telorast and Curdle, that animate two reptile skeletons, and in their back and forth banter, they serve as a comedic relief.

Crocus, Heboric, Scillara and Young Felisin, on the other hand are a quite miserable gathering and company. Which doesn’t surprise me, since anyone that accompanies Heboric must be a miserable fellow.

Second part of the book, of course, deals with the aftermath of the siege of Y’Ghatan.
And here is that problem I was talking about. We see far too many chapters (and considering how Erikson’s chapter is 50 pages long per average, that’s a quite amount of pages) where characters are aimlessly roaming around the desert or the sea.
And I understand, the reason for that is to give other characters time to catch up or finish their stories in this book, and give opportunity for all of us to enter that final crescendo, together, with a bang.
Which we undoubtedly do.
This is not me complaining, I really don’t mind this, but it is a fair warning that story will stretch out a bit.

Characters.

Karsa Orlong V Samar Dev

Challenger. That is what Karsa needs in order to be an interesting character.
A challenger. Not of his vast prowess, Gods know that any skirmish Karsa enters, by the end of it, he is the sole survivor of it.
And that’s dull and boring and there’s really no emotional investment, not just in the character but in the story itself, when you already know an outcome of it.

Is it really the entirety of the emotional span we can have about him in the fact that we are easily amazed how strongly, quickly and viciously he deals with his enemies?
Yes, indoor battle with K’Chain Nahruk is great, forest skirmish with the entire Tiste Edur tribe is awesome, but at some point, whenever a new challenger crosses his path with Karsa, we already know that he is an expendable cannon fodder.

And this is why I think that Karsa hurts the series; that giving him, and characters such as Anomander Rake, these unproportionately powerful beings, a POV is a bad thing.

By giving a character more powers and making him all-powerful, you’re actually restricting that character. You’re confining him into a single sandbox and only certain characters can play with him.
Either you have to invent an even more powerful character to challenge him or you have to strip away your character of those powers you already attributed to him in order for him to play with others.

So yes, in my opinion, Karsa needed a challenger of his wits, of his philosophy of living, of viewing the world around him, and by fighting those types of battles, show us that he is more than one-dimensional character.
I think that Erikson himself recognized this, because he introduced to us Samar Dev, an inventor and a witch.

And Samar Dev is perfect for him. She is smarter than most people in Malazan world, she is independent, a scholar and explorer. She is almost completely opposite from everything he represents.
She is also a witch that wields magic, ancient magic of this world, and she sees spirits and ghosts.
And one thing that we know about Karsa is that he carries all of his ghosts, all the spirits of people he had killed – and he was busy in that work – chained around him.

So, who better to understand this mess that Karsa Orlong of a character is, to whom better to give to, us readers, an access into a POV – than a person who spent her life exploring, inventing and dealing with things that Karsa is troubled? And when she finds the answer, we will find one, too.

“’Sorcery, Karsa Orlong, that is the heart of the problem.’
‘What problem now, woman?’
‘Magic obviates the need for invention, beyond certain basic requirements. And so we remain eternally stifled-’
‘To the Faces with stifled, witch. There is nothing wrong with where we are now, how we are. You spit on satisfaction, leaving you always unsettled and miserable.
I am a Teblor – we live simply enough, and we see the cruelty of your so called progress. Slaves, children in chains, a thousand lies to make one person better than the next, a thousand lies telling you this is how things should be.
Madness called sanity, slavery called freedom. I’m done talking now.’
‘Well, I’m not. You’re no different, calling ignorance wisdom, savagery noble. Without striving to make things better, we’re doomed to repeat our litany of injustice.’
‘Better is never what you think it is, Samar Dev.’”

What I found interesting from their relationship is that, even though Karsa is a savage brute that spend most of his life secluded and is yet to learn of the world, while Samar Dev in contrast is a sophisticated explorer that traveled around half of that world – one can learn from the other.
No matter how plain the language Karsa uses, how simplified his views on certain matters can be – those words and those truths have much to teach a scholar that recognized there’s a potential for learning.
There’s no ego in Samar Dev because of her knowledge, no need for pretentiousness when debating with Karsa to showoff that knowledge, while on the other hand, her approach to him isn’t one of scientist’s to a sample that needs dissecting.
But nonetheless, she is there to understand Karsa. In his core.

First half of this book is amazing because of their relationship. The second half, unfortunately, we lose that Samar Dev I have described here, and instead of her we get another Karsa’s follower.
And that’s a shame.

In conclusion:

I believe that first half of this series is a cynical representation of the Malazan world. Of everything that is wrong in it. Everything that is poisoned and infected by malice of the Crippled God and his pain.
The series had some recurring themes: misery, chains, honour, indebtedness, anti-war and just cause.
In this book main theme, however, was relationship between Gods and their followers.
Misinterpretation of how to worship and Gods misapprehension of their worshipers.
That, as worshipers can denounce their Gods, so do Gods can denounce their worshipers, if one side goes too far.

“Wouldn’t surprise me if all the Gods are just aspects of one God, and all this fighting is just proof that one God is insane. Or maybe just confused.
The gentler and kinder the God, the more harsher and cruel its worshipers, for they hold to their conviction with taut certainty, febrile in its extremity, and so cannot abide dissenters.
They will kill, they will torture, in that God’s name. And see in themselves no conflict, no matter how bloodstained their hands.
Who wouldn’t be driven mad by all that?”

And in this theme we finally see change and distancing from cynicism.
After we see the peak of that cynicism, funnily enough, beneath the fiery flames of the city of Y’Ghatan, we start to descend from that peak and start the journey to long way down.
From those ashes something new will arise, something we haven’t seen in this series so far.
Hope.



3.58/5

Kharkanas Trilogy
Forge of Darkness
Fall of Light

Path to Ascendancy series
Dancer's Lament
Deadhouse Landing

Malazan Empire series
Night Of Knives

Malazan Book of the Fallen series
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
Midnight Tides
House of Chains

Ultimate Malazan Chronological Reading Order