The Forge of Darkness (The Kharkanas Trilogy #1)

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The Forge of Darkness (The Kharkanas Trilogy #1)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 672 ratings · 86 reviews

Now is the time to tell the story of an ancient realm, a tragic tale that sets the stage for all the tales yet to come and all those already told...

It's a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the realm of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power. and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners' great hero, Vatha Urusander, is...more

Hardcover, 760 pages

Published August 2nd 2012 by Bantam Press (first published July 31st 2012)

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Dec 13, 2012 Hakan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is not a review. This is sort of a praise.

First, a paragraph from the book:

"That said, he knew that he was a poor teacher. He wove his
histories as if they were inventions, disconnected and not
relevant. Worse, he preferred the sweeping wash of colour to
obsessive detail, ineffable feeling over intense analysis, possibility
over probability; he was, by any measure, a dreadful historian."

Oh the irony!

Apparently what Steven Erikson finds dreadful in a historian, I cherish in a fantasy writer. Let...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Burgoo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

The Forge of Darkness is the first book in the Kharkanas Trilogy. It is a prequel trilogy, taking place hundreds of thousands of years before the immense Malazan Books of the Fallen. Its focus will be the splintering of the Tiste people—what happened and why.

Structurally, this seems to be a real change from how Erikson wrote all of the MBoF. In that series, even though there were continuing storylines, each book seemed to be more self-contained, with climaxes built into each volume. So, for exam...more The Forge of Darkness is the first book in the Kharkanas Trilogy. It is a prequel trilogy, taking place hundreds of thousands of years before the immense Malazan Books of the Fallen. Its focus will be the splintering of the Tiste people—what happened and why.

Structurally, this seems to be a real change from how Erikson wrote all of the MBoF. In that series, even though there were continuing storylines, each book seemed to be more self-contained, with climaxes built into each volume. So, for example, we got the Chain of Dogs story, which climaxed and had resolution within a single volume, although there were characters and storylines which continued into subsequent volumes. The Forge of Darkness, however, is structured more like the first volume in a traditional fantasy series. When it climaxes, it is rather a setup for the next volume in the series. There is no resolution to the storylines found here; this is buildup to the larger storyline.

In many other ways, this is a typical Steven Erikson novel. There is a massive pool of characters, with revolving POVs from many of them. Even though it is set hundreds of thousands of years before the MBoF, there’s already lots of hazy backstory that we learn about through rumor and speculation. Characters are prone to rumination and philosophizing.

Many familiar characters appear here: Gothos, Draconus, Anomander Rake, Silchas Ruin, just to name a few. No, we don’t get POVs from any of these high level characters. That duty falls to numerous other friends, relations, vassals, etc who live and act around these familiar names.

If you’ve made your way through all 10 books of The Malazan Books of the Fallen, then absolutely you’ll want to read this. Most likely you are someone engaged with the complexities of Erikson’s world, and you are used to some of its more difficult aspects. There are so many under explained portions of his creation that there is more than enough room for prequels without falling into the many usual traps of that sort of thing.

If you are new to the Malazan world, should you start here? That probably would not be my recommendation. The Forge of Darkness is no less complex than any of the Malazan books which have preceded it. Without the perspectives of the Malazan soldiers, Erikson’s writing is more opaque than is perhaps usual. His Tiste perspectives given in this book are more detached, and archaic in their speech and manner. It’s an unusual choice, and one that makes it more difficult for new readers than the more modern manner of his Malazans.
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Oct 09, 2012 Lori (Hellian) rated it 5 of 5 stars

There is nobody NOBODY like Erikson. The only one who comes close in creating a world is China, even so I don't become as obsessed when reading him.

Whoa, we've got the ancient crew here. Draconus is the main character. Mother Dark is still a Tiste altho she has been to the gate so has transcended with power but she isn't a goddess until the end. She's lost in her darkness, reveling in it and having great sex with Draconus. Her children are dividing over this, they don't like Draconus. And who i...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Ruth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: spec-fic

C2012. FWFTB: marriage, consort, ancient, conflagration, unfettered.I have no idea why I keep putting myself through this agony. Once again, I was frantically paging backwards to see what I had obviously failed to understand the first time I read it, paging backwards to the pitiful Dramatis Personae and looking things up on the net to see what my poor brain had not retained. My copy started to look like a hedgehog of post it notes in my attempt to highlight important events. But, the writing is...more C2012. FWFTB: marriage, consort, ancient, conflagration, unfettered.I have no idea why I keep putting myself through this agony. Once again, I was frantically paging backwards to see what I had obviously failed to understand the first time I read it, paging backwards to the pitiful Dramatis Personae and looking things up on the net to see what my poor brain had not retained. My copy started to look like a hedgehog of post it notes in my attempt to highlight important events. But, the writing is mesmeric and the reader is on an adventure as much as Arathen. A frequent complaint of mine is the false sounding old manner of speaking yet with Mr E, no problem. I am prepared to read with an open laptop so that I can look up the myriad of characters. But usually I come to the end of one of Mr E’s book with at least a sense that everything came together. With this particular outing, I am not so sure and I think that the words curled around my eyes and brain and then bit me on the ass. I would recommend this book but only to die hard Malazan fans and it may be easier to wait a while until some wonderful fan summarises each of the chapter. The part that stood out for me was the Andarist and Enesdia story line. FCN: Anomander Rake. Silchas Ruin, Draconus, Arathan, Hish Tulla. Some of the sentences are so cryptic that I, a lover of the Times cryptic crossword, could not make any sense of them and I was left wondering (this seems to be happening more and more) why I was having such trouble in connecting the dots. Has my brain been turned to mush by reading the various urban fantasies that I have been reading lately? Or has the author got just too clever for his own good. As the title implies, there is not much lightness in the book and none of the humour that has been found in previous books. Or should I say that I didn’t find any of the banter and humorous characters that have made other Malazan books so memorable. The bleakness of the novel is hinted at in the Prelude “Do you wander and wonder? Do you start at your own shadow, or awaken rattling disbelief that this is all you are, prospects bleak, bereft of the proof of your ambition?” or this thought “And for Orfantal, his father would be a man impervious to infamy, unsullied by visible flaws, the obvious weaknesses that every child eventually saw in their living parents.” Hold that thought – I am off to cut my wrists now. “The old so disliked the young, and at extremes of both, why, the dislike stretched into genuine distaste. Regard as foul the fresh-born; see as creped the laggard ancients, with disgust the mutual regard and well earned, too.” Oh no............and is this Mr E’s frank thought - “I am satisfied to think of writing as a desire worth having, whereas its practical exercise is a turgid ordeal I leave to lesser folk, since I have better things to do with the sentient fragments of my brain.” Turgid ordeal...hmm..but, hey, there are dragons.
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Aug 01, 2012 Aidan-Paul Canavan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book one of Erikson's new prequel trilogy that provides an easier access point for new readers to his 10 book Malazan series. Forge of Darkness is a Shakespearean influenced epic narrative detailing family, politics and the approach of civil war to a decadent empire. Again Erikson uses multiple character points of view of seemingly disparate events to weave an elegant narrative tapestry. The focus of the story is of mounting tensions, political and familial, in the realm of the Tiste. Yet the fe...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Kislay Verma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excerpt from my review at SolomonSays:

Forge of Darkness is an intricate tale of dissolution of a society through unintentional conflict between dithering characters. Highly reminiscent of how World War 1 started (No one _really_ wanted to fight then either), it’s a story of how one thing can lead to another. For all the bitter irony, however, the book has greater depth and solidity than MBoF.

...chances events piled upon each other that lead the Tiste realm to civil war are enmeshed so realistica...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another great addition to, in my opinion, the best fantasy series of all time. I'll give myself a few days to gather my thoughts, then really articulate how I felt about this book. But briefly...I was worried with the setting in Kurald Galain: I feared this book would be brooding, full of introspection and despair. Well, it is. I keep forgetting the reason Erikson is such a master. His work at character building is touched by very few. The fact was, I dreaded reading this was because his books -...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Onefinemess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-ed, fantasy

Well then.

Let's just get this out of the way first - this ends exactly how you'd expect and Erikson/Malazon book to end.

Moving on.

Lots of parent/child stuff going on here, especially father/son (Draconus/Arathan & Urusander/Osserc). Really good story. Definitely slow to start with the expected barrage of dozens of new gibberish names. It sucked me in by about 200 pages. Even at the end I have no idea who half the characters are. Nor do I care. That's part of the magic!!

2/3 of the way in, g...more

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May 22, 2013 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

Two things kept me reading the Malazan books: the characters (who were often very funny), and the vast, intricate history that Erickson constructed for his world. It's a literary puzzle, and just when you think you have enough pieces to guess the outlines, Erickson throws something in that makes you feel like the puzzle is even larger than you could have guessed (a little like the literary puzzles of Gene Wolfe, except they don't feel as twisted or intentionally misleading as Wolfe). This book d...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Matt Brady rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: unfinished

I reached the 60% mark before I'd finally had enough. Either Erikson is writing more tortured melodramatic unconvincing philosophising than he did in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and less of the crazy stupid awesome fun that I read those books for, or I've just completely lost my tolerance for it. It's probably a bit of both.

Any sort of prequel has an inherent weakness - we know how the story is going to end. This is a big deficit for a writer like Erikson, whose strength lies in his f...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Hrishi rated it 4 of 5 stars

When a world is young, its hurts are all the more grievous.

Steven Erikson brings to bear on his new trilogy, prequel to the Malazan Book of the Fallen, the same quiet mastery of tragedy that is a highlight of his work. If tragedy is catharsis however, this series is the prelude to catharsis - this is the wounding itself!

Fans will find many answers, and many more questions. The Elder Gods, Darkness and Light, Chaos and the Dragons, and many characters that lurked mostly in the background of the m...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Soliloquial readers

Shelves: fantasy

Steven Erikson returns to the world he helped make in the ten book saga Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is a much earlier time and can be viewed as a prequel to that sequence. Unlike the vast majority of his previous series, this is not a self-contained novel, it is instead the first part in a trilogy.

Unique in the realm of prequels, this book can be read by fans of the other Malazan books or by readers new to the series. So I will try to articulate what both groups ought to expect from this tal...more Steven Erikson returns to the world he helped make in the ten book saga Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is a much earlier time and can be viewed as a prequel to that sequence. Unlike the vast majority of his previous series, this is not a self-contained novel, it is instead the first part in a trilogy.

Unique in the realm of prequels, this book can be read by fans of the other Malazan books or by readers new to the series. So I will try to articulate what both groups ought to expect from this tale of the Tiste.

For those unfamiliar with Erikson's previous work: Is this a good starting point? Sure. Erikson still does not write with the clarity inherent in blockbuster authors such as Martin or Jordan, and as such the uninitiated will always find their first encounter with Erikson to be one of befuddlement, head scratching, and a massive cast of characters that one would normally think would fit better in a longer work. Add to that a shift in style to the ponderous, and you have a challenging read ahead of you.

To be certain, the style is one that works and is necessary. Drawing from Shakespearean tropes, Erikson provides a refreshing take on political intrigue that, though as old as the Bard's works themselves, are mostly entirely missing in contemporary fantasy. Further, by adopting the often philosophical musing quality of Shakespearean dialogue, the Tiste are better established as a race separate from human in thought and culture. But with all the flowery prose, a lot is left below the prose. Motivations, reasoning, even some plot points are left for the reader to decode. I believe that this is possible, even if a re-read may be necessary. Ultimately, this book would provide the new Erikson reader with a confusing but eventually coherent narrative and the expectations one finds in a story only one-third told. This is probably more desirable than starting with Gardens of the Moon which provides a confusing, semi-coherent, complete narrative with nine books remaining to soldier through.

For those veteran readers of Erikson: This is a must read. Just by viewing the Dramatis Personae at the beginning of the novel, you will find that there are many familiar faces waiting. This creates a sort of exciting expectation as you wonder what information will be provided for these characters that have been withheld for so long. So, how many unanswered questions from the Fallen series are addressed? Are the mysterious natures of some of that series' most inscrutable characters expounded upon?

Eh.

To be sure, you will learn quite a bit. But that will not come close to filling the void of knowledge you want to be rid of. And that is fine, this is the first book of three, it is actually amazing how much illumination was in this one book.

But is it canon? This question will arise because in the prologue, the poet that is 'telling' the story makes comments to the extent that he is going to make stuff up. To those concerned about this "issue", calm down. Go outside. Enjoy life, add some color to that pasty white skin of yours. Leave the dank cold of your mother's basement and feel the warmth of the sun as UV radiation burns individual skin cells to death.

With that out of the way, it should be kept in mind that Erikson is going almost wholesale for a Shakespearean technique of telling this story. He only isn't using the rhyming scheme. And if you look at any Shakespearean play about historic events, you'll have a general outline of those events and scenes like Richard the III being a murderous hunchback, Joan of Arc delighting in being the tool of the devil, and any person associated with the Tudor line being a good guy.

Essentially, enjoy it for what it is: a story. One that probably has a purpose and that is the driver of the plot. (less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Jason Bucky Roberts rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: yes

It is more than a quarter of a million years before the time of the Malazan Empire. In this ancient age, the Tiste race is divided between noble families and bickering militias, trying to find their place in the world following the devastating wars against the Forulkan and the Jheleck. When the Tiste ruler, Mother Dark, takes the obscure Draconus as lover and consort, the noble houses are incensed and the seeds are sowed for civil war and religious conflict.

Forge of Darkness is the first novel i...more It is more than a quarter of a million years before the time of the Malazan Empire. In this ancient age, the Tiste race is divided between noble families and bickering militias, trying to find their place in the world following the devastating wars against the Forulkan and the Jheleck. When the Tiste ruler, Mother Dark, takes the obscure Draconus as lover and consort, the noble houses are incensed and the seeds are sowed for civil war and religious conflict.

Forge of Darkness is the first novel in The Kharkanas Trilogy, a prequel series to Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. This trilogy will chart the splintering of the Tiste race into the three sub-races seen in the main series book (the Andii, the Liosan and the Edur) and explain much of the ancient backstory to the series. Some characters from the main series - such as Anomander Rake, Silchas Ruin, Hood and Gothos - appear here as much younger, far less experienced figures. However, those hoping for I, Anomander Rake will likely feel disappointed. Rake is a central character in the events unfolding and appears a few times, but much of the action takes place around new, much less important characters. Also, while the story is set more than 300,000 years before Gardens of the Moon, this isn't the alpha-point of the entire Malazan universe. Tiste society is many thousands of years old when the story opens and Rake, Mother Dark, Ruin and Draconus are already important characters with significant histories in place.

Instead, the trilogy is much more concerned with clarification of events in the main series books and explaining why certain things are the way they are. Surprisingly, the series addresses questions that I think most fans thought would simply be left as, "That's how it is," such as the nature of the gods in the Malazan world (and the apparent realization by Erikson that 'gods' was not the right word to use for them), why the different Tiste races have different appearances and why the Jaghut evolved the way they did. Some long-burning questions are indeed addressed, such as the reasons for and the nature of Hood's war on death, but for the most part Erikson is not really concerned with really addressing obvious mysteries (those left wondering what the hell the Azath Houses are will likely not be satisfied by this book, in which even the race they are named after is baffled by them).

Instead, the narrative unfolds on its own terms. As usual, Erikson has a large cast of POV characters including nobles, soldiers, priests and mages, many of them with slightly cumbersome names. However, Erikson strives to differentiate his characters more from one another then in previous novels. Forge of Darkness enjoys a shorter page-length than most of his prior books (clocking in at a third less the size of most of the Malazan novels) and is far more focused. The plot is a slow-burner, divided into several relatively straightforward narratives. This is Erikson at his most approachable, easing the reader into the situation and story rather than dropping them in the middle of chaos and expecting them to get on with it (such as in the first novel in the main series, Gardens of the Moon).

Of course, Erikson isn't going to give the reader an easy ride. Minor peasants continue to agonizingly philosophize over the nature of existence with surprisingly developed vocabularies at the drop of a hat. There are too many moments when characters look knowingly at one another and speak around subjects so as not to spoil major revelations for the reader, regardless of how plausible this is. There is an awful lot of hand-wringing rather than getting on with business. But there's also a few shocking reversals, some tragic moments of genuine emotional power and some revelations that will have long-standing Malazan fans stroking their chins and going, "Ah-ha!"

Forge of Darkness (****) is Erikson's attempt to channel the in-depth thematic approach of Toll the Hounds but weld it to a more dynamic (by his terms) plot-driven narrative whilst also satisfying the fans' thirst for more information and revelations about his world and characters. It's a juggling act he pulls off with impressive skill, with some polished prose and haunting moments. But those who continue to find his reliance on philosophical asides and long-winded conversations tiresome will likely not be convinced by this book.(less)

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Oct 16, 2012 The Crimson Fucker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sadness! It is over!

What can I say about Erikson's shit that I haven't said before?

That y'all fuckers need to stop reading your YA and your classics and your ironic shit and read some Malazan goodness?

That I don't understand how this fucker its not on those fancy award winning lists?

Fuck! This is fucking brilliant! So many questions answered only to raise twice as many! !

Anomander will come to understand that you cannot control anything

Andarist will known grieve.

Silchas still scares me.

Draconous...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Michael Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Easily the best fantasy novel of 2012, Steven Erikson's Forge of Darkness is simply stylistically and thematically miles ahead of any of his closest competitors. Imagine complex world-building with a heady dose of mythology, an ethnographer's attention to cultural detail, a philosopher's inquisitive nature, and prose that at times rises to an almost Shakespearean level of lyricism and tragedy. Erikson's 10 volume Malazan Book of the Fallen trumped any other fantasy endeavor of the 2000's. Forge...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy

Story: 5/5

1: Being Vague, rambling plot with no little believable storyline
5: Ripping yarn, clever, thought provoking

Wow, just Wow!
I have to admit, that when I heard that the first of the ‘new’ stories was going to be based on early Kharakas and Mother Dark I was disappointed and started reading with some trepidation. I am not a big fan of the Tiste Andii or Liossen, I really don’t like Anomander Rake (yes, really, I don’t) and prequels, regardless how far back to the beginning are never my fav...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Francis Oswald rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won this book in a FirstReads giveaway; the very first giveaway that I've won here, actually. Having no prior experience with Erikson's work, especially not the Malazan Book of the Fallen series (which I later discovered was an immense ten volumes), I wondered whether or not my experience with Forge of Darkness would be hampered, as it is advertised as the first book in a prequel trilogy.

Nonetheless, though this first book of three is apparently set hundreds of years before the Malazan series,...more I won this book in a FirstReads giveaway; the very first giveaway that I've won here, actually. Having no prior experience with Erikson's work, especially not the Malazan Book of the Fallen series (which I later discovered was an immense ten volumes), I wondered whether or not my experience with Forge of Darkness would be hampered, as it is advertised as the first book in a prequel trilogy.

Nonetheless, though this first book of three is apparently set hundreds of years before the Malazan series, it was a bit of a challenge truly understanding the world that this epic fantasy was set in; it appeared to me that the reader was already meant to have a clear understanding of the world that this book took place in, and quite a few of the characters within. Efforts to try to understand the world from an objective point of view are hindered by Erikson's style of writing, which swaps constantly between the perspectives of various characters in the story; though it is somewhat of a unique approach which serves to help Erikson as he attempts to deliver his messages through the thoughts of several different protagonists, Erikson's prose itself leaves much to be desired. Wordy inner monologues and descriptions supplied by the narrative go on for several pages, abundant with irritatingly complex simile and metaphor and often littered with verbose synonyms which, on more than one occasion, hampered the message they were trying to get across simply by being superfluous. Different introspective philosophies from separate characters are not necessarily a bad thing, but in this kind of genre, one would expect their use in the narrative as filler between action sequences to advance character development. However, in Forge of Darkness, these sequences are more often than not used as buildup for an action that does not occur. The style of writing itself is rather thick and proves to be a challenge to comprehend, particularly on your first read-through; from the experience of a first-timer with Erikson's work, it took me a couple of times reading the same page before I truly understood what was going on, after which it quickly jumped to another character's perspective (much to my chagrin).

Unfortunately, the plot itself isn't exactly gripping either; though the story is quite long, the pacing is pretty slow, and you're often left with chapters upon chapters of what appears to be the author testing how well he can describe an environment or a scenario with the most advanced vocabulary he can muster, without much of anything going on in terms of an action that affects the plot. Granted, as a first book in a series, one does not necessarily expect some kind of gargantuan climax or something of the sort, but regardless, a well-written action sequence for the audience to sink their teeth into would work as a good persuasion tactic to convince the reader to forge on through the rest of the dense and dull metaphor-filled prose; the disappointing fact is, however, that the action sequences themselves don't happen until much later in the book, well after the reader has lost interest due to the droll internal monologue that the narrative drills into the heads of those with the tenacity to trudge through it.

All in all, it's not necessarily a BAD book, and I'm sure fans of Erikson's prior work will appreciate a new perspective of the world that they spent 10 books reading about, but it certainly isn't anywhere near as entertaining for a newcomer to the franchise, as much gets lost in translation as the reader tries to decipher the code that is the narrative. However, that might be excusable if not for the heavy buildup without any sense of reward or justification on the part of the author that progress was being made. Regretfully, these two problems in tandem were what made this book similar to trudging through a swamp of extravagant synonyms, which really served no place in the narrative to begin with in regards to the plot. It needs quite a bit of polish in terms of the actual writing, and needs quite a bit more exposition to keep the reader interested enough to get through the infuriatingly thick narrative and the style it is written in.

In spite of this, as I've yet to read Erikson's other works, perhaps long time fans who know what they are in for in regards to the style the author writes in will find more enjoyment with it than I did. Erikson appears to be an experienced writer with a developed vocabulary (which he frequently brings to the reader's attention, for better or for worse), and the actual plot of the story itself, stripped from the filler that holds it back, is unique for the genre. The characters and the messages they attempt to get across are far from generic; it is merely the style of the prose itself and the pacing of the plot it describes that require some trimming.(less)

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Jan 11, 2013 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Damn you, Tor.com! I read the first five chapters and now I'll have to wait til October to get the whole book.

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Feb 03, 2013 Erick rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Tiste have always been a fascinating people regardless their aspects, this book will provide the reader with a glimpse of how was life in Kurald Galain before the Malazans were even an idea. As much as we get to learn from their past, this book will leave you with many questions and doubts that hopefully will be answered in the next two books.

However, there are certain discrepancies with Tiste lore as it was previously described during the Book of the Fallen, but you end up with the sensati...more

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May 02, 2013 Kassan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the Forge of Darkness, Steven Erikson takes us into the past of the books set in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. He shares a beginning of the Tiste Andii (I feel like quoting the opening lines of any Wheel of Time books), one that echoes throughout the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

Steven Erikson weaves an ancient form of storytelling in this book. While reading it, I imagined I've picked up the a book parallel to the Odessey of his world. The dialogue is epic, the characters are larger t...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Charlotte Bird rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

My experience of this book was a little bitty; Christmas shenanigans, work, and a new relationship (you know, the part where you actually want to spend time together) took up a lot of my time so Forge mostly got read for half an hour in bed, in waiting rooms before appointments, etc. I regret this, because it deserved undivided attention. Whenever I read a new Erikson book it is to be reminded that his writing is a thing of beauty. In terms of writing skill, Erikson is unmatched by any except pe...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Beginning of the book is oppressively bleak. A culture falling apart, a people at war with themselves, and I could list other bad things that happen in this the opening book of new trilogy but I won't. I don't take it spoil all the misery. Okay, I do like this book, once it get going. It is Erikson after all and he does did to start slow. This book is written in a plainer, more concise language than his Malazan Book of the Fallen novels. From what I understand that is by design, I read somewhere...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Levi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, first-reads

Disclosure: The reviewer received this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

For several years now, I have had Steven Erikson’s epic fantasy series Malazan Book of the Fallen on my reading list. When Tor sent me the first book from his prequel series, The Kharkanas Trilogy, it seemed to be a good entry point to try out Erikson and the Malazan world. This proved to be a mistake.

Forge of Darkness immediately thrusts the reader headfirst into the pseudo-feudal realm of Kurald Galain, home o...more

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Oct 06, 2012 David Sven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The Forge of Darkness takes us back into the distant past of the Tiste race. Here we get the story of how Mother Dark ascended and the beginnings of magic. We learn more about the history of Draconis and Anomander Rake and his brothers. And we see the beginnings of the fall of a civilization.

In the wake of a new peace, won by the Tiste military, elements in the Legion find themselves unwilling to lay down their swords to bend the knee to the Noble houses they fought for. They long for power of t...more The Forge of Darkness takes us back into the distant past of the Tiste race. Here we get the story of how Mother Dark ascended and the beginnings of magic. We learn more about the history of Draconis and Anomander Rake and his brothers. And we see the beginnings of the fall of a civilization.

In the wake of a new peace, won by the Tiste military, elements in the Legion find themselves unwilling to lay down their swords to bend the knee to the Noble houses they fought for. They long for power of their own and threaten to bring the whole world down in blood to achieve it. In the meantime the fundamental nature of the universe is changing as a god bleeds magic into the world and the acid sea of chaos spews powerful beings onto the shores of Kurald Galain.

As with all Erikson’s books there is an inundation of characters. Some of them will be well known and loved by fans of the Malazan series. Others will sound familiar but may take a quick visit to a Wiki to work out “who was that again?” And then there will be the usual plethora of generic characters whose only purpose seems to be for Erikson’s usual self indulgent dissembling which gets rather annoying. As a wise man once said, “The more the words the less the meaning.” Just get back to Draconis and Rake I say.

I struggled somewhat with this book. I’m usually quite tolerant of Erikson’s excessive use of introspection because in between you get those snapshot moments of intense battle that is typical of all the Malazan books as well as the big picture epic moments like The Battle of Pale in Gardens of the Moon with epic mage battles and flying fortresses. And what about the pure badassery that is Anomander Rake descending with his crew in the middle of an Assassin war. Or Rake unsheathing Dragnipur . . . Ahhhh. Well you don’t get that so much this book. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very heavy moments, but I was hoping for a bit more. What’s worse, the book builds to a crescendo – and I mean there are events that set my blood boiling and there are people and creatures that just need to die! And then the end. Bastard!

So I paid the price by indulging Erikson’s ramblings. I then got the hook as events swept me up in the story. But I didn’t get the usual payoff that Erikson usually doles out at the end. I’m not sure how I feel about having payday deferred to next year or whenever the next book starts.

Anyway, there’s still a lot on offer for Malazan fans, but I seriously doubt that people who haven’t read Erikson’s other books are going to be able to appreciate a lot of the goodies. What’s a Jaghut? Whose Hood? What’s a Forkrul Assail? And who’s going to recognise an Azath house?

The book left me frustrated so it’s 3 stars. But I may re-rate it after a re read when the next book comes out.
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Aug 31, 2012 Damian Dubois rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I read somewhere that Forge of Darkness, being a prequel of sorts to the Malazan Book of the Fallen, could be considered a good starting point for any potential new readers out there. While I guess technically that could be true, I do believe that anyone coming in cold to this would really miss out on the foreshadowing and revelations that a Malazan stalwart would instantly pick up on. New readers just wouldn't feel that instant recognition of a name much loved or connecting some of the...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Paul Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-read

As a big fan of the Malazan novels I was interested to see where the author went with this new series, set in the Tiste land of Kharkanas. The story centres on the civil strife caused by the various factions of the Tiste legion who are struggling to cope now war is at an end eventually leading to turmoil and civil war. The legion commander and hero of the people, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark's hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Terence rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of epic fantasy; Malazan groupies

Shelves: sf-fantasy

If you’re a fan of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, forget everything you ever thought you knew about the Tiste, the Jaghut, or anything or anyone else you encountered in that series. Better yet – since Erikson here and other authors in my recent reading have emphasized that the stories we tell ourselves are but simplifications, rationalizations and justifications to force the world to make sense – do remember what you’ve learned about the author’s world and weigh it against what you learn and wh...more

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May 18, 2013 Derrick rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, disappointment, fantasy, philosophy, ultra-violence

Well, I've put up with Erikson long enough. I'm done.

A whole world awash in hopelessness and despair.

I long for a power to wash away the worst that is in us,

War is a shout against futility, hostage, but its echo never last long

I no longer desire to immerse myself in this type of philosophy. There is Goodness. There is Hope. There is Love. There IS Meaning and Reason to Existence. Men can be Changed from their brokenness. There is a God who Cares and Who has taken Responsibility. There is Joy a...more

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Dec 19, 2012 João Lamas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Steven Erikson... what more do we need to say?

The Forge of Darkness sheds a light on the Tiste people and tells a tale of the differente species we have come to know on the "Malazan Book of the Fallen".

It's a bit weird to get this much information; Erikson never did dumb down the story just because you dind't know who someone was, or what event had cause a situation. He is not one to stop the tale and explain the context. A couple of lines, pages or even books ahead you come to realise how thing...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Emmalee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I will say that I have not read any of his other books. This is epic fantasy, and I understand why he has been compared to Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. Frankly, I find George R. R. Martin easier to read, with his character chapter divisions. I think I would have perhaps had an easier time following the story and the characters at the beginning if I'd read the earlier series. I plan on reading the series later. As it is, it's a fantastic read.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The Bridgeburners: Forge of Darkness; Prelude and Part One: In these Gifts the shape of Adoration, chpaters 1-5	49	36	Jan 15, 2013 03:09pm
The Bridgeburners: Forge of Darkness; Part Four: The Forge of Darkness, chapters 16-20	52	27	Jan 10, 2013 03:58pm
The Bridgeburners: Reading Forge of Darkness before completing the series	39	45	Nov 14, 2012 11:45am
The Bridgeburners: Forge of Darkness; Part Two: The Solitude of this Fire, chapters 6-10	38	20	Nov 06, 2012 05:21pm
The Bridgeburners: Forge of Darkness; Part Three: The Proofs of your Ambition, chapters 11-15	32	22	Oct 31, 2012 06:29pm

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About Steven Erikson

Steven Erikson is the pseudonym of Steve Rune Lundin, a Canadian novelist, who was educated and trained as both an archaeologist and anthropologist. His best-known work is the on-going series, the Malazan Book of the Fallen.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...

More about Steven Erikson...

Books by Steven Erikson

Gardens of the Moon (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1)

Deadhouse Gates (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #2)

Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #3)

House of Chains (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #4)

Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #5)

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The Forge of Darkness (The Kharkanas Trilogy #1)

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