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The Malazan Book of the FallenReview of Steven Erikson's Standard-Setting Military Fantasy Series
A brief look at one of modern fantasy's most expansive and realistic military chronicles
Its history spanned millennia, its influence grew to truly global proportions and its legions crossed seas and continents in order to place them beneath the boot of near-godly imperial masters. I’m speaking now about the ancient Roman Empire of our own world, but the truth is that any and all of the above descriptors can be just as easily applied to the fictional Malazan Empire of Steven Erikson’s similarly dubbed series. Additionally, while the Roman histories are compiled for us in truly voluminous historic detail, the weighty tomes of Erikson’s collection could match a number of real-word textbooks in breadth, while surpassing them several times over with regard to entertainment value. As each book rounds into the binding-busting high hundreds of pages, The Malazan Book of the Fallen is a series for fans who like their fantasy realistic, their characters complex and their coffee tables well weighed-down. Imperial scope and scaleAbandon all interest, ye who prefer the featherweight beach-read or short story compilation, as by the time the whole of this promised ten-book series is gathered together, it will likely challenge the capacity of smaller shelves and decorate those that can bear it as a literary trophy. Perhaps one of the most appealing qualities of Erikson’s writing is that he has created a series that feels as such – providing the greatest experience only if read from first volume to last – yet which is still comprised by individual books that are unique enough in plot and theme to stand alone, if need be. Pick up the first volume, Gardens of the Moon, and find yourself wrenched about as the Malazan sieges of the cities of Pale and Darujhistan play-out amid shattering magic and exploding munitions. Step into the second installment, Deadhouse Gates, and trudge wearily across a separate continent and alongside an entirely new (though still connected) set of characters as the Malazan 7th army attempts to lead tens of thousands of refugees out of a desert land sundered by blood-hungry religious conflict. Skip ahead to Midnight Tides, fifth in the series and centred on a burgeoning war occurring long before the events of Gardens of the Moon, between an expansionist kingdom and ancient tribal clans. Despite the massive geographic and temporal separations between some of Malazan’s plotlines, Erikson’s stories tie together seamlessly and in ways that will thrill the lover of political intricacy, military history, myth and prophetic decree. These ain’t your mama’s fairy talesJust as those not inclined toward large-scale plots should steer clear of Malazan, so too should any leery of blood, muck, or the occasional death of a long-standing, well-loved character. Erikson’s casts include many a soldier who speaks and acts as a soldier might, explosive-hucking sappers, insane prophets, knife-wielding assassins and politicians of varying degrees of corruption. Major plot twists are often achieved by murder, mayhem or epic revelation, and climaxes usually play-out while shrouded by the gloom of a back alley or the smoke of a battlefield. Sex, religious fanaticism, colonial expansion and genocide are all themes that appear, subside and re-emerge later on throughout the series, and its lands, people and general moods all reflect as much. Negative points of noteIf neither the shear size of Erikson’s storylines nor their darker, grittier nature has put you off, then there’s little else worth mentioning in the way of cons. Occasionally a reader might find themselves wondering just how heavy those dictionaries the Malazan soldiers are issued upon clearing boot camp must be (for a pack of grunts, a few do seem to have quite the eloquent vocabulary) and the lengthy dramatis personae and list of terms accompanying each book will be frequently referred to as plotlines progress. These truly minor qualms aside however, it is hard to find solid faults among the sprawling tales of The Malazan Book of the Fallen.
The copyright of the article The Malazan Book of the Fallen in Modern American Fiction is owned by Tyler Feltmate. Permission to republish The Malazan Book of the Fallen in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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