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Gardens of the Moon
2010 Group Read Discussions
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5/10 Gardens of the Moon- Least favorite character – Anomander Rake
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Oh man, Rake is my favorite! I see your point, but at the same time, what I like about Rake is that as bad-ass super powerful as he is, he's approachable.
By that I mean, one expects the super 100,000 (or however old) year old immortal son of a goddess super shapeshifting mage-dragon with a soul-sucking sword to be somewhat intimidating. And yes, he is. But despite all of that, he's a rather pleasant fellow to talk to or be around.
He doesn't strike me as the reluctant deity hero/anti-hero. More ambivalent to it all. He does what he is supposed to, maintains his loyalties, and goes all out after enemies. But all that aside, he doesn't get all worked up on posturing and trying to take over everything.
My first thought was no way, and he isn't my least liked. But I do think that there is a bit of a dichotomy with him. I liked him a lot, loved the mystery at first but then when Paran went to where those killed by Dragnipur go I was a little upset. He is the one making the decision on who deserves that hell, what if he makes a mistake? Not that he would ever second guess himself but what if. I think the thing that really bothered me was that he sent the hounds there. I like the Hounds!!!
Rake was neither my least nor most favorite character. For the most part, I didn't like any of the characters. Whiskeyjack, maybe, and his cohort in crime, the one-armed dude whose name escapes me now. Rake was an interesting character, however, in that he refused to give up, even in the face of boredom, futility and a complete loss of faith by his 'people' in themselves or their fate. Something like that. Rake gives 'there's nothing new under the sun' a whole new spin.
I agree on a re-read, I do not like how he is portrayed. He appears arrogant, has obviously killed many thousands, and indiscriminately destroys the empire army outside pale. Yet the characters within the book look on him with awe, and perhaps many readers pick up on this. I know I look back on later reads and look forward to his parts in the story. Especially as his burden is revealed, and the nature of his battles.
The way he carries himself at the fete is too cool, as said before, approachable.
Rake was neither favorite nor least favorite, but part of what's compelling about him for me is what's compelling about the Tiste Andii in general--the way that they are an interesting new take on the fantasy trope of elves. As immortal beings, how do you keep going century after century, millennium after millennium? The case of the Tiste Andii is particularly notable in this regard because of the way they turned away from Mother Dark and came to this new world (echoes and inversions of the Noldor leaving Valinor? But more developed--and differently developed). I think that's why I liked Toll the Hounds more than you did, Terence--because of that exploration.
Ah I replied in another thread first, but I'll add to here, Mother Dark turned her back on her children, and their home began to erode so were forced to leave. I love Rake and think he is a true hero. He is not arrogant, just withdrawn with weariness yet he knows he still lives in this world and must make choices to keep the balance.
I think that most long live races at first come off as arrogant to the short-lived races. I'm seen it portrayed many times this way. But once one goes and delves deeper into their collective personality it becomes apparent that this is a short-sighted view and there are reasons why they are this way. Not sure if I should have posted this here or on the other thread but it applied to Lori's post of "He is not arrogant, just withdrawn with weariness yet he knows he still lives in this world and must make choices to keep the balance."
Rake was interesting for me because, as some have pointed out, he has all this power but doesn't exactly go around shoving it in people's faces all the time. Also I, like some, found him to be very accessible...you know...for a 100,000 year old. But really it was how he balanced his day-to-day interactions with that power that made him so interesting for me. For example his first meeting with the alchemist (I believe it's the first time we come to understand what his sword can do) he demands a number of people be killed, *but* he leaves how they die up to others. Yes, he'd like to imprison them in his sword-hell, but he allows the mortals around him to have some say in the matter with the end result being that his targets die but at mortal hands, thus being spared his sword. There's an interesting balance there (and yes a passage involving three or four people being beheaded isn't the most touching of examples) but it shows some sense of respect for the world he has so much power over.
Like several of you, Rake was neither my favorite or strongly disliked. Having only read GotM, I need more information to form more of an opinion. I am intrigued, however, by Rake and the Tiste Andii. Again, this is a mark of the profound respect I am developing for Erikson as a writer as he brings his anthropological background to bear in this series. He has created some fascinating cultures, and the Tiste Andii are one of them. Deep down, I think there is a strong sense of right and wrong in Anomander Rake's approach to the involvement of the Tiste Andii's involvement in this world. And I think Rake would prefer to err on the side of 'right' if at all possible. It seems too that he is profoundly concerned about the long-term survival of his peoples (which currently seems in doubt?).
Rake just SEEMS like all too powerful dude, but that is expected of a son of Mother Dark with that sword on his back... he just seems like arrogant because he faces malazans in GotM... it is not until Memories of Ice that we learn a lot more about him, his great burdens that he has to carry on his shouldersand he is one of few Tiste Andii who give a damn for the world and what happens with it, which I admire... he possesses many secrets of which only few are revealed in GotM... he was IMO well written in GotM as well; he is one of most complex characters in the series as far as I know, so we cant judge him, as most of chars in this series, by "first impressions"... and then, in malazan world, like when there is old there is always something older, there is powerful, and there is always something that can prove more powerful
dont know if you are that far, but just as example - (view spoiler)
I don't think Rake is arrogant. In fact, he's kind of the opposite. He's the son of a goddess, leader of the immortal Tiste Andii, weilder of a magic sword, master of Kurald Galain - and friends with Whiskeyjack, a sergeant in the Malazan army. That doesn't strike me as arrogant.
I liked Rake. Not my favorite. Not my least favorite. But I think my "problem" with him was in a series that was so uniquely different I felt like I've already seen him in countless other books. He fulfilled the role of bada## a little too much. Or maybe I just read too many Drizzt books...although don't get me wrong, the dark elf wouldn't stand a chance.
It’s primarily because Rake is too gods-awful powerful. He has limits but they’re far beyond any other Ascendant, and then he has Dragnipur. I’m reminded of a D&D module I played once where there was a character who had these magic poison darts that always hit and always killed, no saving throw – when he joined the party, it destroyed the fun of playing for the rest of us. That’s the feeling I get whenever Rake enters the story.