Deadhouse Gates

I don't know exactly what to say about Deadhouse Gates. Steven Erikson is continuing to create an incredibly deep world in his Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and there is such a wealth of history and intrigue and tension just brimming under the surface of the novel that you can feel it. It's there and just waiting to bubble out. The odd thing is that it seldom bubbles out.


There is much that is good here. The story is told in several parts, and the one with Duiker the Imperial Historian is probably the best as he follows the Seventh Army and the barbarian Fist commander Coltaine. There are several other storylines in place here, and only two of them directly continue those that were introduced in Gardens of the Moon. The stories are related, and as the series continue I imagine we'll see more and more intertwine as Erikson builds to something really grand.

I like the book. I like the series. I want to read the next volume. I'm just not as enamored of this series as I should be. There is so much under the surface that I wish Erikson would let more out. There are flashes of amazement as Erikson reveals something that changes how you view the characters and the world, and without question, he knows how to end a book. This one left me stunned.

But I really hope that the future revelations will be worth it because as good as Erikson is, I'm concerned the hints will be better than the reveal.

Still, for the potential Erikson is showing: I'm going for book 3.