Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

June 1st.

Link to the old thread where Scott posted detailed, chapter per chapter comments:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Hmmm crickets.......

Is anyone hopping in on this? I'll be starting MOI in the next week for my first re-read :)

Seán wrote: "Is anyone hopping in on this? I'll be starting MOI in the next week for my first re-read :)"

Yes! I'm hoping to start this weekend :)

I will be. But it will be my first time. Lol

One of my favorites in the series.

Am I the only Malazan virgin left in GR!! Jeez.😂

There are worse things to be, Daniel. lol

But no, you're not the last Malazan virgin standing.

Whew, thank God...never want to be first or last!

Daniel wrote: "Whew, thank God...never want to be first or last!"

First in, last out :)

Daniel wrote: "Am I the only Malazan virgin left in GR!! Jeez.😂"

😂

I had thought there was a rather big group of newbies starting this year, I wonder where they have all gone?
MoI is the best of the series imo, so it would be so cool to have more first-time readers because I really love reading their thoughts!

I started this year but it is tough posting when everyone else is on their _ times x reread...will give another go and see what happens!
Lol

I really need to give this book another try but I’m buried so I’ll catch the next group.

Seán wrote: "Daniel wrote: "Whew, thank God...never want to be first or last!"

First in, last out :)"


Dagger to the heart.

Everyone is a comedian...

Seán wrote: "First in, last out :)"

Veronica wrote: "Dagger to the heart."

Daniel wrote: "Everyone is a comedian..."

She's dead serious.

Hmmmm, okay must be an inside Malazan universe joke. How remarkably quaint and cute.

Daniel wrote: "Hmmmm, okay must be an inside Malazan universe joke. How remarkably quaint and cute."

Now who's a comedian? :)

Everyone Scott, everyone.

I started a bit early now, but only read the prologue so far. And what a prologue, right?

(view spoiler)[My heart breaks for the Jaghut kids :(

The Imass choosing immortality for the sake of war...oh guys, your future is going to be sad (and dusty)...
Pay attention to Kallor's curses.
Sister of Cold Night will be torn apart by inhuman hand...

Also, Draconus mentioning a certain sword he has been forging since the age of Darkness.
We still don't know for sure when that age (->Kharkanas) was, right? I somehow assumed it was around 300k years ago and if I'm right, he has been forging the sword for a really long time indeed.
Ugh, don't think about the timeline, you'll only get a headache ;) (hide spoiler)]

Daniel wrote: "I started this year but it is tough posting when everyone else is on their _ times x reread...will give another go and see what happens!
Lol"

Well, I've been kind of guilty of posting tons of spoilers that cannot be opened by first time readers 😅

Tis not guilt that would be the issue Miss Bea. Rather it is very difficult for a newbie to engage any multi time reader in any kind of discussion. The multiple time reader can’t really get into any kind of theorizing cuz they KNOW how things turn out lol....all good. It just gets kinda lonely...(kidding no tears required). 😂😂

Daniel wrote: "Tis not guilt that would be the issue Miss Bea. Rather it is very difficult for a newbie to engage any multi time reader in any kind of discussion. The multiple time reader can’t really get into an..."

Yeah, I understand what you mean.
I love reading newbie-theories, though 😊

I five starred this book, it's one of the best I've read.

@ Graeme best in this series? Or best ever?

I started today, so far the first chapter. I found the prologue a little confused, with references to many names or facts I don't know and I don't remember from the previous books. But, it's an intriguing story and, from what I've read around, one of the best book of the series.

Daniel wrote: "@ Graeme best in this series? Or best ever?"

I've read the first 5, and it'd be in the top 2 with book #5.

As for best ever, I struggle with separating books I love, but I'd put the whole Malazan series (what I've read so far) as a single entry in the top 10.

Top ten is high praise. Unless of course, you have only read ten series....

LOL. Yes.

Daniel wrote: "@ Graeme best in this series? Or best ever?"

Yes. It's really hard to chose between TBH and this for me as the best in the series and best book ever.

TBH??

It was Jody, and joining FBR that got me into Malazan. This group lives up to its name.

Daniel wrote: "TBH??"

The BoneHunters.

Scott wrote:
"Yes. It's really hard to chose between TBH and this for me as the best in the series and best book ever."

I'm going to be starting MOI and my wife is currently reading TBH...needless to say it's going to be an emotional house for the next couple of weeks.

Seán wrote: "I'm going to be starting MOI and my wife is currently reading TBH...needless to say it's going to be an emotional house for the next couple of weeks..."

When you're both done you can PMS (Post Malazan Syndrome) together. :P

Up to chapter four. I'm making progress pretty slowly because I'm not in the mood to read this dense beast all the time ^^

(view spoiler)[Silverfox gave us some pretty awesome speculations!
So, I'm trying to summarize:

-Azath=House= Hold (well, they're not equal, but corresponding)
-1 Azath for every warren/hold representated by the Deck

-both the Azath and thr Deck symbolize order
-Dark also symbolizes order and is therefore opposed to chaos
->Dragnipur: helps to maintain balance between order and chaos
->seal of the gate was breached ->risk to the order/chaos-balance
->master of the deck is needed

But even if every Azath is connected to one warren especially there still are always connections between the Azath and the Jaghut...

Interesting that not only warrens themselves influence how magic manifests but also the mages themselves ->Spindle
Speaking of him, that hairshirt is both gross and iconic...
There are actually women who swear that not washing your it is the best way to get shiny and healthy hair...

So the BBs stole Brood's table. That's so badass, right? xD
(hide spoiler)]

Also, I started highlighting and using sticky notes (I usually don't do that because I'm too lazy) and the book is already looking wild!

Bea wrote: "Up to chapter four. .."

(view spoiler)[The stealing of the table and it's significance is highly underrated in the pantheon of "what are the Malazan best moment?". (hide spoiler)]

Read below only if this is a re-read and you made it through Toll the Hounds.

(view spoiler)[
Spindle is interesting because I didn't pay enough attention to him the first time around but then knowing what I know from TTH I was much more detailed paying attention to his parts.
(hide spoiler)]

The Bonehunters was my favorite so far (up to #9) because almost all the characters we had already met, so I could concentrate more on all the plotlines. Though I will say that of all the books, Im most interested in re-reading Memories of Ice!

Scott wrote: "Bea wrote: "Up to chapter four. .."

[spoilers removed]

Read below only if this is a re-read and you made it through Toll the Hounds.

[spoilers removed]


Yes, I read almost the half of this one and Spindle is not one of the best characters, it's more underestimate.
Another I found so enigmatic is Kruppe. I don't understand his true nature, but there is more under his constant chatter.

Have I mentioned how much I love Lady Envy? <3

The Mhybe is already annoying, though...

I've made tons of notes and highlights up till now but I can't write down all of them. So just a few random thoughts:

Chapter 5

(view spoiler)[I wonder, how did Rake, Envy and Osric manage to travel together without entire continents being destroyed? xD
Why is Rake so interested in Ben? And Ben seems to have something to hide, the sneaky bastard. But that scene where he dropped Kallor into a hole! 🤣 Only Ben! <3 (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6

(view spoiler)[There's a pub called Wu's closet and after P2A that's so hilarious.

Harrlo can't imagine Stonny with a baby. Ouch, my heart :( (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7

(view spoiler)[Travelling alone is the greatest crime among the Imass. For the Jaghut, being alone is the best thing ever. Those two peoples seem to be extremes in every way... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8

(view spoiler)[Imo it's such an important character detail that Rake doesn't have a big, special tent but lives under the same conditions as everybody else.

And we get that great backstory on the BBs.
So there's a Soletaken among Ben's souls. Makes me think of Shadowthrones exclamation in GotM (was it shape-shifting bastard?)

When Rake mentions the shifting of one soul - could he be referring to a certain soul?? (hide spoiler)]

Bea wrote: "Have I mentioned how much I love Lady Envy? <3

The Mhybe is already annoying, though..."

She is the femme fatale you know you should hate but can't because she's so funny.

Scott wrote: "Bea wrote: "Have I mentioned how much I love Lady Envy? <3

The Mhybe is already annoying, though..."

She is the femme fatale you know you should hate but can't because she's so funny."

I think she is a very complex character. Incredibly beautiful and charming, polite, but with the ever present menace of a terrible fate that can strike everyone makes her angry.

Andrew wrote: "I think she is a very complex character. Incredibly beautiful and charming, polite, but with the ever present menace of a terrible fate that can strike everyone makes her angry...."

She is all that but so is Snow White's stepmother. What makes her likeable is her humor in the face of events of extreme gravitas and her flirtations in the same manner.

Andrew wrote: "Scott wrote: "Bea wrote: "Have I mentioned how much I love Lady Envy? <3

The Mhybe is already annoying, though..."

She is the femme fatale you know you should hate but can't because she's so funn..."

Yes. There is something about her that makes it impossible to dislike her even though she's not exactly a nice person and does/has done some questionable things.

Chapter 9

A guy called Esslee Monot the dubious. I see what you did there xD

(view spoiler)[ I love that scene where Toc says Tool is his friend and then Tool just turns around. It's only this small gesture but you can tell how much it means to him. My boys <3
Also Envy having that Rake-deja-vu xD
Oh oh, Toc, what are you doing... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10

(view spoiler)[The Tiste Edur who collected heads. Makes me think of the Silanda.
Is that Realm to the south-east Lether? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11

Just need to mention I love Picker and Blend. And Mallet.

Chapter 12

(view spoiler)[Oh Toc, you are in trouble...
How f*cked up are the Tenescowri, though. The horrifying thing is that they are just normal people who have been horribly mistreated. I wonder if SE had any historical inspiration for this?

Also I find that I'm compassionate about basically everybody. Take the Seer for example. It's obvious that he's not evil "just because" but because he has suffered.
This should be called the Malazan book of all the shitty things that happen when you're not nice to each other and don't treat your environment well. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13

(view spoiler)[So the Tiste Andii are immune to insect bites? I'm jealous. Mosquitos love me...
But I believe it's also mentioned somewhere that they don't fall ill that easily in general. Is that because of their magic or are they just more resilient because of their biology?

And we have a mention of Whiskeyjack's sister.

Kallor is so unlikeable...but he's interesting. Am I the only one who would like a series on the Kallorian empire? Would make an amazing prequel imo.

Is that undead dragon (view spoiler)[Olar Ethil (hide spoiler)]? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15

(view spoiler)["Power to keep the elder gods from this world"
What does he mean by "from this world"? Do the gods just come from different warrens/dimensions or from an actual different world like tCG seems to?
Some more speculation, not really spoilery, but based on the later books (view spoiler)[It seems like there are relations between the races and the elder gods. Draconus->Tiste Andii, Kilmandaros->Forkrul Assail, Olar Ethil->Imass etc. So what if the K'Chain where the world's 'original' race and then one day the Azathanai arrived and created all the other races?
Where do dragons fit in, though? (hide spoiler)]

The Imass were kinda overreacting by setting out to destroy all the Jaghut, right? Makes me think of pogroms in our real world. Really sad.

Also have I mentioned that I really like Korlat? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16

Oh Itkovian...indeed, we're not yet done. Not sure if I'm ready for that second half of the book 0_0

Regarding Olar Ethil but a series spoiler so if you haven't previously read the series don't read this.

(view spoiler)[I know the undead dragon is Olar Ethil but I always pause thinking Korabas? I know she's not dead but made of Otataral and anathema to live but every crucified or undead dragon I pause to think if it's her. (hide spoiler)]

Scott wrote: "Regarding Olar Ethil but a series spoiler so if you haven't previously read the series don't read this.

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[She couldn't really be there, though...
It sounds funny when you write 'every crucified dragon' but actually there are a lot of chained dragons, right? (hide spoiler)]

I'm kind of scared to finish the book 😅
I have about 200 pages left. The first time was so emotional for me and I'm scared of the heartbreak. On the other hand I'm scared that it won't be as emotional anymore and that the experience won't be as memorable. Is that weird? Probably...

Btw. is anybody still reading this?