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407th out of 1,559 books
—
10,545 voters
Return of the Crimson Guard (Malazan Empire #2)
The return of the mercenary company the Crimson Guard could not have come at a worse time for the Malazan Empire. Drained by constant warfare, betrayals and rivalries, many see the grip of Empress Laseen weakening. Conquered kingdoms and principalities test their old independence. Into this fermenting civil war on Quon Tali - the Empire's homeland - comes the Guard, and th...more
Hardcover, 702 pages
Published
September 11th 2008
by Bantam Press
(first published 2008)
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Gotta say I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. Another solid entry in the history of the Malazan world, and (in my opinion) loads better than Night of Knives. I didn't have the issues with characterizations that a lot of other people apparently did, and found most of the plot threads quite enjoyable. Still, the book has its issues: Individual plots (or entire prologues) that didn't seem to relate to the rest of the book, and sections (like in NoK) that were far too vague, even i...more
About 1/3 of the way through. ICE has definitely matured in his writing since NoK. This one is dense, and somewhat wandering like Erikson, but not as well written, none of the complexity of characters. While Erikson hints at things and gives us baffling clues that slowly come together, ICE presents them as characters speak. Plus I'm not having all those deep thoughts of philosophy that imbibe the main Malazan series.
But! BUT! I love this world. ICE definitely succeeds in drawing us in to the poi...more
But! BUT! I love this world. ICE definitely succeeds in drawing us in to the poi...more
3 likes
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I have to warn you that I'm a huge Malazan fan, so take this review as you will. The Malazan world fulfills all of my childhood wishes to become Spider-man mixed with Wolverine's claws, Donatello's brain and ninja skills, and throw in Silver Surfer's surfboard too.
I realize some of those are moot with the inclusion of the others...but I was a kid. :)
This world is filled with the knarliest people doing the craziest things and I love it. Everyone (main characters that is) is either the best at wha...more
I realize some of those are moot with the inclusion of the others...but I was a kid. :)
This world is filled with the knarliest people doing the craziest things and I love it. Everyone (main characters that is) is either the best at wha...more
6 likes
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May 29, 2011
Terence
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Malazan Empire fans; sprawling-epic-SF fans
Shelves:
sf-fantasy
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
4 likes
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Return of the Crimson Guard is the second "Malazan Empire" novel written by Ian C. Esslemont, and boy does he hit his stride with this contribution to the Malazan world! As some of you may know, Esslemont is the co-creator of the Malazan world with his friend and co-author, Steven Erikson. Esslemont did a great job with his first novel, Night of Knives, but he really pulled out all the stops in this novel. This is a big, meaty 700+ page novel that you just can't put down.
Return of the Crimson Gu...more
Return of the Crimson Gu...more
Story-wise: The plot moves forwards in leaps and bounds regarding the events between the Crimson Guard and the Malazan Empire. Needless to say, the resolution is climactic.
Style-wise: ICE is no SE (sorry to say it). His first book (Night of Knives) kept the POV limited and personal, which was a nice change from Erikson. This book has a much larger scale, in trying to keep all the balls moving, he adopts the Erikson-type transition between plot threads. Unfortunately, his imagery and language are...more
Style-wise: ICE is no SE (sorry to say it). His first book (Night of Knives) kept the POV limited and personal, which was a nice change from Erikson. This book has a much larger scale, in trying to keep all the balls moving, he adopts the Erikson-type transition between plot threads. Unfortunately, his imagery and language are...more
First things first: this was definitely an improvement over Night of Knives. There was a ton going on (it was like 2.5x as long) and it even got to use some of the more familiar characters. In fact… I’m amazed that what happened with the Empire happened here instead of in the “main” books. Wow, I’m just… really interested to see how the “main” books deal with the kind of huge upheaval that happened at the end of this one.
OK, improvements being noted, I have a couple complaints:
Names: This is a...more
OK, improvements being noted, I have a couple complaints:
Names: This is a...more
A solid contribution to the "Malazan Universe" created in Steve Erikson's 10 book series. This book borrows heavily on that world and intersects various plot lines from the Malazan books - so you will need to be 5 to 7 books into the Steve Erikson's books to understand or appreciate "Return of the Crimson Guard."
So the old and bitter enemies of the Malazan Empire "The Crimson Guard" are regrouping after many years of absence. Bound and driven by an eternal vow to see the Malazan empire destroyed...more
So the old and bitter enemies of the Malazan Empire "The Crimson Guard" are regrouping after many years of absence. Bound and driven by an eternal vow to see the Malazan empire destroyed...more
What will I do if Esslemont and Erikson stop writing in the Malazan world? Throw a tantrum, most definitely. I haven't had an author or series challenge me and excite me this much except Frank Herbert with Dune.
It was great to read about Westeros and learn more of the world Martin created (FINALLY) in A Dance with Dragons, but you just can't top Erikson and Esslemont for sheer epic storytelling scale and character creation. I've never read authors that can make you care about a character in jus...more
It was great to read about Westeros and learn more of the world Martin created (FINALLY) in A Dance with Dragons, but you just can't top Erikson and Esslemont for sheer epic storytelling scale and character creation. I've never read authors that can make you care about a character in jus...more
Da: http://www.webalice.it/michele.castel... ...... Esslemont nei lunghi periodi di ricerca sui campi archeologi passati insieme a Steven Erikson ha contribuito allo sviluppo del mondo dell'Impero di Malaz, scenario pensato inizialmente per un possibile gioco di ruolo. Dopo l'insuccesso di una prima stesura de I Giardini della Luna come sceneggiatura per un film, Erikson ne trasse un lungo romanzo che per� stent� molto per essere pubblicato. Il seguito � stato invece solo una serie continua di s...more
If you like the more bad-ass characters that just wade through a crowd in destruction mode then there is plenty of that for you in this book as well. Some of them, such as Ho, are subtly so, but others; such as Rell, Urko, Braven Tooth, Temp, and Traveller are all in your face ass kickers. Sadly, Esslemont doesn't really describe combat in as compelling of a way as Erikson. Most of the one-on-one combat sequences seem to be missing a level of detail and the descriptions, at time, become a little...more
Esslemont gets credit for co-creating the Malazan Empire universe with Steven Erikson, but the two novels I've read so far by him, Night of Knives and Return of The Crimson Guard pale somewhat by comparison to Erikson's work. In general, the plots are less intricate and the characterization is much worse. Almost everyone in Esslemont's books is either a great hero/veteran whose main exploits happened off-screen (in the past), or a reluctant military grunt who performs above expectation. Within t...more
...Esslemont’s second addition to the Malazan epic is a huge step forward compared to Night of Knives and a bold step as well. He puts himself in the spotlight with this tale of what goes on in the Malazan heartland. The books is a must read for Malazan fans, there is simply too much going on in this book that is important to the overall story. I think Esslemont (and Erikson) took a chance on this book by putting it so much at the heart of the story, and I think it paid off. Return of the Crimso...more
*Spoilers Below*
I enjoyed Kyle, some people don't but I liked the young hero, that was way out of his element unlike some super human farmboy gets magical sword, and slays evil. Kyle does fit the first two elements, but he kinda doesn't know what to do, and is quickly swatted aside. Nait is a cool character, I liked the idea of the avowed and the internal squabbling, but Cowl and Skinner were disappointments to me, granted they are bad ass characters, but there very one dimensional. With Skinner...more
I enjoyed Kyle, some people don't but I liked the young hero, that was way out of his element unlike some super human farmboy gets magical sword, and slays evil. Kyle does fit the first two elements, but he kinda doesn't know what to do, and is quickly swatted aside. Nait is a cool character, I liked the idea of the avowed and the internal squabbling, but Cowl and Skinner were disappointments to me, granted they are bad ass characters, but there very one dimensional. With Skinner...more
I was kind of excited to see Esslemont's 2nd take on the Malazan universe. I appreciated that Night of Knives was much shorter than Erikson's novels and was looking forward to a simpler jaunt here. No dice. This book was nearly 1000 pages long, and it felt like it. There were a lot of really good parts, and there were several boring parts. It took nearly a month to read through it, which was unexpected.
Esslemont's writing has improved from his first book, but I felt like he was aping Erikson's s...more
Esslemont's writing has improved from his first book, but I felt like he was aping Erikson's s...more
Esslemont is an old collaborator with Steven Erikson and combined with him in creating the world of Malaz, which they both write about. Here, Esslemont has taken a page out of Erikson's playbook, with various unconnected characters all making their way to a central pivotal event, which takes up the last couple of hundred pages. As is usually the way with these books not all threads are tied off and some seem rather inconsequential for now. The writing is not quite up there with Erikson's, but sh...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Return of the Crimson Guard is the second Malazan companion novel written by Ian C. Esslemont. It fits between the seventh and eighth Erikson books in the series. Esslemont's first Malazan novel was a bit of a departure from Erikson's established style. It was about half the length of an Erikson Malazan novel and focused on a small number of viewpoint characters, with the events occurring over a single night. Return of the Crimson Guard, on the other hand, adopts Erikson's style. The length is d...more
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5
I have to say that Esslemont's second effort is a huge improvement over Night of Knives. Below are my pros and cons:
Pros:
- Excellant battle sequences (individually and on a grand scale) that were just as gripping and exciting as the main Malazan books written by Erikson.
- Big improvement in characterization over Night of Knives, especially since Esslemont used characters already introduced by Erikson in this book.
- Good worldbuilding as usual.
- Plot worked well with...more
I have to say that Esslemont's second effort is a huge improvement over Night of Knives. Below are my pros and cons:
Pros:
- Excellant battle sequences (individually and on a grand scale) that were just as gripping and exciting as the main Malazan books written by Erikson.
- Big improvement in characterization over Night of Knives, especially since Esslemont used characters already introduced by Erikson in this book.
- Good worldbuilding as usual.
- Plot worked well with...more
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Co-Creator of the Malazan world, Esslemont really does a nice job staying consistent with the feel of the world mainly authored by Steven Erikson. I really enjoyed this book and, while introduced to new characters, really felt like Esslemont created a story that fit well in the world, and helped answer some questions about what was happening in other places in the world while events in the main Book of the Fallen series played out. Esslemont's writing style was very similar in style to Erikson's...more
That you don't need to be an amazing writer to be a good story teller. He and his partner in invention, Steven Erikson, have created a universe that is amazing real for me.
The characters arent quite of the same depth as some of those in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, but for those of us who want more from this universe it should work.
The way it parallels other stories is amazing, he blends humour, real human emotions and storytelling together beautifully for me. But I can see how real...more
The characters arent quite of the same depth as some of those in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, but for those of us who want more from this universe it should work.
The way it parallels other stories is amazing, he blends humour, real human emotions and storytelling together beautifully for me. But I can see how real...more
Excellent second attempt by the author. Night of Knives was a well written action book, but did not further the Malazan story. This one did. Familiar characters such as Traveler, Lasseen and Possum were made much more human, or inhuman, depending. The new characters, especially the Crimson Guard, rival the bridgeburners for showing a passion and vitality rarely seen in modern fantasy.
As always, the battle scenes were my favorite. It's as if you are reading historical fiction. Tactics, strategy,...more
As always, the battle scenes were my favorite. It's as if you are reading historical fiction. Tactics, strategy,...more
Esslemont coming into his own.
Had it come out earlier, before Erikson's series concluded, and had I read it in proper chronological order with regard to that part of the Malazan universe, before those final volumes, I would have been enthralled enough to love it utterly. As it was, I had to struggle to remember the relevance of some parts, though it was satisfying to figure them out. Some bits didn't work very well for me, others were every bit as satisfying as I wanted them to be, it had its m...more
Had it come out earlier, before Erikson's series concluded, and had I read it in proper chronological order with regard to that part of the Malazan universe, before those final volumes, I would have been enthralled enough to love it utterly. As it was, I had to struggle to remember the relevance of some parts, though it was satisfying to figure them out. Some bits didn't work very well for me, others were every bit as satisfying as I wanted them to be, it had its m...more
I enjoyed this book as part of the Malazan cycle, but it's definitively not one of the best ones. The usual intertwining of many storylines and POVs is really stretched to the max, and I found myself many times confused on who was who and what was really happening.
The choice of the author not to explain fully the events and say explicitly who are the actors in some cases ends up being detrimental. As a technique, it's used in many other Malazan books effectively to add mystery and suspense, but...more
The choice of the author not to explain fully the events and say explicitly who are the actors in some cases ends up being detrimental. As a technique, it's used in many other Malazan books effectively to add mystery and suspense, but...more
As is the case with all of my reviews, I want to begin by stating that this is merely a subjective opinion and should not deter potential readers from purchasing and reading this novel. The Return of the Crimson Guard is a Malazan Empire novel. The Malazan Empire was a concept created and developed by Steven Erikson and Ian C. Esslemont, and to my mind, it is one of the definitive constructs in modern fantasy. While Steven Erikson has penned ten novels in this series, Return of the Crimson Guard...more
Oct 24, 2012
Max
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
outstanding-books
"Very well, court clerk. Here is my judgment upon the case that said self-important appellants are so keen to bring before me to the exclusion of all else I may have to attend to. Said plot of land of property is to be divided exactly in half and fifty percent given to each parts - Even if said property constitutes a slave. Am I understood?"
- Mallick Rel, Return of the Crimson Guard
After reading Night of Knives, this book was another great view into the Malazan Empire. I love the way the charact...more
- Mallick Rel, Return of the Crimson Guard
After reading Night of Knives, this book was another great view into the Malazan Empire. I love the way the charact...more
Don't even try to read this without having at least started the main Erikson series. Even if you have read the first Empire book Night of Knives.
For those of you who have read those other books but haven't read this one yet I highly recommend it. Although read Night of Knives first. Where I thought NoK felt like an add on or tie in book I could almost believe that this one fit right in with the Fallen books.
There are differences but I don't think I have read another author who comes closer to an...more
For those of you who have read those other books but haven't read this one yet I highly recommend it. Although read Night of Knives first. Where I thought NoK felt like an add on or tie in book I could almost believe that this one fit right in with the Fallen books.
There are differences but I don't think I have read another author who comes closer to an...more
Return of the Crimson Guard is an improvement compared to Esslemont's prior installment, Night of Knives. Nevertheless, I tried, but did not enjoy this one either. Being a fan of the series I felt obliged to finish it and forced myself to do so.
The frequent plot changes and head hopping within chapters did not flow smoothly. It was as if a random generator was used to decide what to write about next. Erikson employs this style as well, but is more effective at it. I believe Esslemont was too amb...more
The frequent plot changes and head hopping within chapters did not flow smoothly. It was as if a random generator was used to decide what to write about next. Erikson employs this style as well, but is more effective at it. I believe Esslemont was too amb...more
I good addition to the Malazan world, surprising events and though i found Ian's use of some of the characters to be too different from the way they were portrayed by Erikson... (Nil and Nether seem far to different from the way they were in Bonehunters and House of Chains, Mallick Rel was still a slimy piece of shit... buta capable piece and he actually got the job done wereas in Erikson he's just a disgusting character you want to hate. I guess its all a matter of interpretation).
A lot of othe...more
A lot of othe...more
Esslemont proves he's as good as Erickson with this one. His skill with developing characters is impressive, and while he doesn't develop the cultures of the Malazan world quite as much as Erickson does, he's still descriptive while not overdoing the more disturbing/disgusting elements like Erickson can (yes, the corpse is rotting, we get the picture and usually don't need a whole paragraph for it). He brings in new characters that we can't help but learn to like, such as Sgt. Jumpy, and brings...more
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Ian Cameron Esslemont is a Canadian writer.
Ian C. Esslemont and Steven Erikson co-created the Malazan world in 1982 as a backdrop for role-playing games. In 1991 they collaborated on a feature film script set in the same world, entitled Gardens of the Moon. When the script did not sell, Erikson greatly expanded the story and turned it into a novel.
More about Ian C. Esslemont...
Ian C. Esslemont and Steven Erikson co-created the Malazan world in 1982 as a backdrop for role-playing games. In 1991 they collaborated on a feature film script set in the same world, entitled Gardens of the Moon. When the script did not sell, Erikson greatly expanded the story and turned it into a novel.
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Oct 14, 2012 09:59am