After decades of warfare, the five tribes of the Tiste Edur have finally united under the implacable rule of the Warlock King of the Hiroth. But pe...
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Sep 15, 2011
Lee
rated it: 
Story: 5/5
I must admit to starting this book with some reservation. I had just finished House of Chains and rated it 5 stars. You can read my review on that here I was completely ‘into’ the story and the characters of the Malazan world. So when I realised this story was going to be told on a completely different continent with all new characters at a time I was unsure of I More...
1: Being Vague, rambling plot with no little believable storyline
5: Ripping yarn, clever, thought provoking
I must admit to starting this book with some reservation. I had just finished House of Chains and rated it 5 stars. You can read my review on that here I was completely ‘into’ the story and the characters of the Malazan world. So when I realised this story was going to be told on a completely different continent with all new characters at a time I was unsure of I More...
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Nov 16, 2008
Guy
rated it:
I'm trying to think of another book that had me laughing out loud again and again, while inbetween hovering between suspense and sorrow at the slow, inexorable unfolding of personal and world-wide tragedy... and I can't.
Interestingly, I have had experiences like this in the theater on several occasions, most often when watching Tom Stoppard plays. We recently saw Kenneth Branagh leading a stellar cast in Stoppard's new translation of Chekov's "Ivanov" during which at vario More...
Interestingly, I have had experiences like this in the theater on several occasions, most often when watching Tom Stoppard plays. We recently saw Kenneth Branagh leading a stellar cast in Stoppard's new translation of Chekov's "Ivanov" during which at vario More...
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Sep 05, 2007
Dani
rated it: 
This book is pretty much a stand-alone from the previous four but I'm sure some characters will show up again. Two kingdoms are building up to a clash and the story flips back and forth between a set of brothers in each kingdom. This book wasn't nearly as complex as the earlier ones and would actually be a good starter book for someone who's interested in the series but intimidated by the complexity. As usual, the climax is a page-turner with gods, ascendants, undead and shapeshifters clashing a
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Oct 09, 2011
Although I do like the Malazan books I have read, I sometime find them hard to get into, or hard to continue. In this case I found that having 20 books that I've requested show up to the library, is a sufficient reason to put a book aside.
As well I think having a large part of the series come to me last week, has made it a bit more difficult. Seeing 5 books all over a thousand pages can be ominous. Even when you're in the 140 books in a year club! ;)
I will get back to this one More...
As well I think having a large part of the series come to me last week, has made it a bit more difficult. Seeing 5 books all over a thousand pages can be ominous. Even when you're in the 140 books in a year club! ;)
I will get back to this one More...
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Jan 05, 2011
Brian
rated it:
Series 6/30/08 - 9/10
The Malazan series is one of the better fantasy series I've read in a while. It's extremely densely plotted, in a very vast and detailed world. Each book takes a new jump that leaves you wondering. Sometimes the books can be a little tough to follow and the characters are not the most detailed, but I really enjoyed these books overall. I can't wait to reread and catch up with the newer books I haven't read yet.
For more info, check out:
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Malazan on wikipedia
Malazan Si More...
The Malazan series is one of the better fantasy series I've read in a while. It's extremely densely plotted, in a very vast and detailed world. Each book takes a new jump that leaves you wondering. Sometimes the books can be a little tough to follow and the characters are not the most detailed, but I really enjoyed these books overall. I can't wait to reread and catch up with the newer books I haven't read yet.
For more info, check out:
</b>
Malazan on wikipedia
Malazan Si More...
May 15, 2011
Andre
rated it:
NO SPOILERS
Time again for an epic inspiration. When I read an Erikson novel, I find myself at various times provoked, dubious, amazed, involved and confused. His tales are so dense that I have to "rest" between novels. Presently there are ten in the series and I have no doubt I will be reading them for sometime. More high fantasy that I hope to write, he handles magic--and the cultural repercussions magic use--admirably well.
This particular novel departs from previo More...
Time again for an epic inspiration. When I read an Erikson novel, I find myself at various times provoked, dubious, amazed, involved and confused. His tales are so dense that I have to "rest" between novels. Presently there are ten in the series and I have no doubt I will be reading them for sometime. More high fantasy that I hope to write, he handles magic--and the cultural repercussions magic use--admirably well.
This particular novel departs from previo More...
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Feb 11, 2011
Klytia
rated it: 
Con Maree di Mezzanotte Erikson si stacca apparentemente dall'azione principale per spostarsi su un nuovo continente con nuove razze e personaggi. Apparentemente perché questo quinto volume del ciclo di Malazan inizia di fatto dove finisce La casa delle Catene, con Trull Sengar lo Spezzato che desidera raccontare, ad un pubblico non troppo conciliante, la storia di come venne considerato un traditore del suo popolo.
Ed è infatti la storia di Trull quella che ci viene raccontata qui, rendendo Mare More...
Ed è infatti la storia di Trull quella che ci viene raccontata qui, rendendo Mare More...
Nov 12, 2010
Patrick
rated it:
The 5th book in Steven Erikson´s rich Malazan world, this book was very good--if not quite as gripping as the last installment. Because the world and its mythology is so incredibly dense and detailed, and since it´s been over two years since I read the last book in this series, I often felt like I was forgetting key concepts. I think I´ll pick up the next book sooner rather than later.
If I have one complaint about Erickson, it´s that he´s given to philosophizing in his books, and he of More...
If I have one complaint about Erickson, it´s that he´s given to philosophizing in his books, and he of More...
Aug 14, 2010
Jonathan
rated it:
Lots of characters in search of a war. A plethora of people drag the build up along for hundreds of pages before knocking it all on the head in a flurry of secret gods and new characters wandering in. Hundreds of loose ends, many interesting characters with an Eddings sense of humour, are not tied into the main story at all. This is all fairly readable, but quite chaotic. All of the characters with a sense of humour have the same sense of humour of course :)
In all honesty I find al More...
In all honesty I find al More...
Aug 07, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
Steven Erikson keeps getting better and better with every book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. He has an incredible way of painting both sides of a conflict, showing both the good and the bad that can exist within an individual and an entire people. He is masterful at creating detailed cultures, making the strange seem real by allowing his readers to use their brains in order to "connect the dots" and make sense of the things he writes.
With most books there is usual More...
With most books there is usual More...
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Feb 03, 2012
Yashima
rated it:
This one tells the story of Trull Sengar and is actually - at least so it seems - a prequel to what is happening to Trull in the House of Chains (#4). Again seemingly unconnected to the rest and yet the Crippled God makes his appearance again. Again wonderful new characters. My favorites this time? Brys, the King's Champion, Iron Bars and of course Tehol and Bugg.
A little bit of critique is necessary however: this time there are too many new characters that are introduced without so m More...
A little bit of critique is necessary however: this time there are too many new characters that are introduced without so m More...
Jan 19, 2012
Gail
rated it:
Okay I really loved this one. It has a different feel about it to the others so far. More political intrigue, less of the characteristic journey of two characters. More of a building to...I was going to say finale but each of the books have built to a finale. The build is slower, more determined.
I can't decide which of the men I'm in-love with the most. Trull, a deep thinker, modest, awesome with a spear, and reliable when protection is needed. Or maybe Brys, straight forward, brilli More...
I can't decide which of the men I'm in-love with the most. Trull, a deep thinker, modest, awesome with a spear, and reliable when protection is needed. Or maybe Brys, straight forward, brilli More...
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Aug 02, 2011
Ruth
rated it: 
c2004. I really did not do justice to this book. I have obviously read just too many violent and warlike books and this was just more of the same ilk. I thoroughly enjoy Erikson's writing so it was not the book that was at fault. This is the fifth novel in the series so I think I will wait a while before attacking the 6th. The Bridgeburners do not appear in this book and I kept waiting for their participation. There is also no direct mention of the Malazan Empire. I certainly got the feeling tha
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Mar 25, 2009
Bill
rated it:
This book also spans a huge chunk of time by starting with a story from ages past when Scabadari (leader of the Tiste Edur) and Silchas Ruin (the leader of the Tiste Andii) fought in a huge battle up to the more present day war between the Edur and the Leterii along with the ever present involvement of the Crippled God. If there is one thing you can say about Erikson it is that he isn't afraid of scope.
This story also offered me my frist glimpse of the Crimson Guard. In a world populat More...
This story also offered me my frist glimpse of the Crimson Guard. In a world populat More...
May 03, 2010
Viridian5
rated it:
Steven Erikson's Midnight Tides was a bit confusing to me at first because it initially doesn't seem to have much to do with the rest of the series it's in, The Malazan Books of the Fallen. It's also unusual for a book in that I didn't end up rooting for either side in the huge conflict. One side, the Letherii, has devastated its surrounding peoples through a hugely predatory form of capitalism and debt and withe the aid of really powerful sorcery, but these Tiste Edur quickly show themselves to
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Aug 20, 2011
Rob
rated it:
...New continent, new characters, new forms of magic and new gods. Midnight Tides almost feels like a new start to the series, but Erikson will merge this new story line into the other novels quite quickly in subsequent novels. It is also the first novel that will have the story spin outwards from the Malazan Empire. Not all readers may be pleased by yet another totally unfamiliar setting but I enjoyed the change of scenery tremendously. The fact that Erikson introduces a host of fascinating cha
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Aug 15, 2011
Craig
rated it:
I think, had it been a standalone and not the fifth book in a series, I would have had less reservations about Midnight Tides; or at least that I'd not need to qualify that I liked it. But as is, it just seemed like a bit of a jarring departure from the main sequence of events in the Malazan series.
That said - I liked it, though it took me awhile to get into it (much like House of Chains, actually). I found the beginning to be rather slow-paced, and I didn't really feel much of a c More...
That said - I liked it, though it took me awhile to get into it (much like House of Chains, actually). I found the beginning to be rather slow-paced, and I didn't really feel much of a c More...
May 10, 2011
Maciej
rated it:
Piąty tom „Malazańskiej Księgi Poległych” przerzuca nas w zupełnie nieznany zakątek świata Wu, daleko od Genebackis czy pustyni Ranraku. Po czterech tomach zżywania się z bohaterami serii, tak nagły przeskok jest nieco irytujący. Z drugiej strony Erikson zastosował podobny manewr w poprzedniej części przedstawiając historię Karsy – i wyszło to znakomicie. W tej części również będziemy mieli okazję poznać wcześniejsze losy jednego z (dotychczas) drugoplanowych bohaterów – Trulla Sengara, a przy o
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Nov 30, 2010
Zach
rated it:
It occurs to me that this series is a lot like Lost, minus the stupid soap opera melodrama (mostly) and with the ridiculousness ratcheted up to 11. A sensible narrative? Who needs it? Meaningful character studies? Not really, although Erikson does nod in that direction from time to time. No, what we have here is an ever-escalating series of mysterious and epic, epic, epic mythological backstories and historical events that are mostly only vaguely hinted at (or explosively overturned by some sort
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May 22, 2011
Tim
rated it:
Midnight Tides, the 5th book in Erikson's Malazan series, was another entertaining read. However, as it features an entirely new local, with an almost entirely new set of characters and races, I found myself back in the semi-lost and confused state that Gardens of the Moon put me in. This resulted in it taking a little more time for me to get through than the past couple of books.
An absolute ton of background information is presented in this book. So much so, that I am sure I am going More...
An absolute ton of background information is presented in this book. So much so, that I am sure I am going More...
Jan 30, 2011
Christopher
rated it:
Okay, having read the fifth volume in Steven Erikson's "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" series, Midnight Tides, I now think Erikson has the set pieces all in place on the board now. In finishing this novel I have to say that it truly feels like we have now been exposed to the landscapes, and most of the characters; and now it seems that the plot lines are all starting to slowly begin spiraling toward some form of a mega-convergence in the remaining four novels. I, for one, can hardly
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Dec 09, 2011
Nicki
rated it:
I was curious about Midnight Tides from the beginning, as I had picked up on the fact that it takes place on an entirely new continent, with little connection to the previous four books. As keen as I am to see the characters I've come to know and love, Erikson's jaunts off into other places and times (like the Karsa Orlong section of House of Chains) have been thoroughly enjoyable to me so far.
The prologue quickly grounds the reader in the familiar aspects of the Malazan world, begin More...
The prologue quickly grounds the reader in the familiar aspects of the Malazan world, begin More...
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Oct 30, 2011
Michele
rated it:
By this 5th book, the author *finally* got the hang of developing his often-large cast of assorted characters properly. Well, it's about time, and kudos on the effort! :p
Like most of the other books in this series, I had to re-read early chapters to get the hang of the settings (I'm quite used to having to do this by now, because of the author's stumbling story-telling techniques.. it's worth it, tho). But once the story builds up momentum, it's a fun edge-of-seat ride to the finish fo More...
Like most of the other books in this series, I had to re-read early chapters to get the hang of the settings (I'm quite used to having to do this by now, because of the author's stumbling story-telling techniques.. it's worth it, tho). But once the story builds up momentum, it's a fun edge-of-seat ride to the finish fo More...
Mar 14, 2011
Peter
rated it:
When I first started reading this one, I was annoyed that the entire novel seemed to be a back story for Trull Sengar. I thought it made more sense as one of the Malazan side-novels that Erikson has published. The longer I read, however, the more I got attached to the new characters (Udinass, Tehol, Kettle, etc...) and realized that it did have important plot elements it was furthering (concerning the Crippled God and the Edur in particular). I anticipate that a lot of what we learned and man
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Jan 05, 2010
Reid
rated it:
The greatest aspect of Erikson's writing is his ability to continually invent new characters that keep the reader interested. At this point it would be hard to name my favorite character, but Tehol Beddict would certainly make the short list. I happen to really enjoy Kruppe though as well, so he's sort of in that style but with a bit less power and more influence. Anyway, the comparison between the Malazan and Lether empires is meant to remain in the background but is clearly something Erikso
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Apr 04, 2009
JW
rated it:
I really have no idea what's going on with this one. There are some overall arc nuggets buried in here but all I can do is hope that this side story pays off somehow.
That doesn't mean this isn't an entertaining book. Far from it. The Edur story is blah and bleh but the action in Lether is first rate, especially Tehol Beddict, who's not as irritating as Kruppe. But if you don't get into the back and forth between him and Bugg, you'll have a lot to endure as the series continues. More...
That doesn't mean this isn't an entertaining book. Far from it. The Edur story is blah and bleh but the action in Lether is first rate, especially Tehol Beddict, who's not as irritating as Kruppe. But if you don't get into the back and forth between him and Bugg, you'll have a lot to endure as the series continues. More...
Jul 16, 2010
Tina
rated it:
By the end I loved this one almost as much as House of Chains, though I did find it a little slow to start. It was jarring to me to be brought to a new area of town, so to speak, and one so devoid of Malazan control. This at first made me question what the POINT of the novel was... but then I realized that a lot of little things referenced throughout the series were (somewhat) explained here. Also, it was freakin' hilarious; Erikson's word play and subtle humour just made this one for me. It's a
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Aug 09, 2010
Nathan
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jun 12, 2009
Rebecca
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I just recently finished this book. I usually only read Erikson when I'm traveling, because I get distracted easily and I'll pick up another book that's more engaging to begin with.
This one took me about the first 200 pages to get into, but after that it started going a lot faster. I enjoyed the parts with Tehol, and I liked to break from all the intrigue in the other continents.
For fans just starting this one who want to know if it's a worthwhile read, I'll tell you th More...
This one took me about the first 200 pages to get into, but after that it started going a lot faster. I enjoyed the parts with Tehol, and I liked to break from all the intrigue in the other continents.
For fans just starting this one who want to know if it's a worthwhile read, I'll tell you th More...
Jun 27, 2010
Remy
rated it:
This novel is such a dramatic departure from the prose of the first four, with a large dose of humor that at times seems more at home in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, but I still love it. The plot is convoluted (not surprising), there is a lot going on and it is at times hard to see the plotlines as they twist and turn about. Still, it is with this book I am beginning to understand the unique world of the Malaz Empire (and other continents) and turn into an interested reader to a fan. Teho
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