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

Feb 19, 2009

Lori rated it

Finally finished this monster of a book. Worth every page. I don't know why I'm not giving it a 5. Maybe because there's so many in this series, I want to wait to the end to see which were the best. This might be a contender, there wasn't a dull or wasted part, instead every page I drank deeply from. I wish I could just continue directly to the next, but I've got some other highly anticipated books from the libes and I don't want to be #250 on the wait list. Besides, I like taking a little break...more

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Aug 18, 2011

Lee rated it

Shelves: epic-fantasy

Story: 4/5

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

Without doubt my favourite in the series so far. If you have read the previous three and wondering whether to start number four. Stop reading this and go read House of Chains.
So the overall rating is a 5/5, but the story I am giving ⅘, but for no other reason than, by itself it is a great book, if you have read the series, then its a awesome book.
The...more

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Aug 26, 2008

Guy rated it

Shelves: science-fiction-and-fantasy, have-read-more-than-once

So, where does the sea come from? <this will make sense at both the beginning and the end of the book... but a different sense>

And that's how you write a review of a Steven Erikson book.

Some things are getting clearer, some not. Some character arcs are over, some still gaining altitude. This is graduate level fantasy of a caliber rarely seen... I am beginning to savor these books like fine bottles of wine, reading them slowly to stretch out the enjoyment.

...more

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Oct 08, 2008

Brian rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A very interesting, but odd, book. It begins with a gang of ogres (well, ogre-like guys, anyway) attacking a human city. Well, ok, "begins" isn't quite the right word. The actual attack doesn't begin until page 116, but I can be excused, I hope, for calling that the beginning of a 1,015 page book. You certainly can't accuse Mr. Erikson of being brief.

Still, you won't hear me complaining. Those first 115 pages explore the culture of the attackers, explain the reasons fo...more

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Jun 29, 2011

John rated it

House of Chains is the fourth novel in Steven Erikson’s monumental epic fantasy series The Malazan Book of the Fallen. The tenth and final novel of the series has just been published and I’m in the process of re-reading the eight that I had already read so that I can finish the last two novels with what has come before firmly in my gray matter. I realized after reading House of Chains that I never reviewed it—indeed, I never reviewed any of the subsequent novels. This was not because I didn’t re...moreHouse of Chains is the fourth novel in Steven Erikson’s monumental epic fantasy series The Malazan Book of the Fallen. The tenth and final novel of the series has just been published and I’m in the process of re-reading the eight that I had already read so that I can finish the last two novels with what has come before firmly in my gray matter. I realized after reading House of Chains that I never reviewed it—indeed, I never reviewed any of the subsequent novels. This was not because I didn’t read them or didn’t like them—in fact, I have a hard time not gushing about the series, at least what I’ve read of it, and what I’ve read of it gives me full confidence that Erikson will have pulled off the ending that his masterpiece deserves. If anything, I suspect my lack of reviews had to do with feeling a bit unequal to the task.

The novel starts, chronologically, earlier than the previous novels, and with characters wholly unfamiliar, focused on three members of a savage tribe of a giant people. These are a people to whom killing, plunder, and rape are the meat of existence. They are horrendous in their savagery. Yet Erikson is fascinatingly subtle not only in the nuances of this culture but especially in the subtlety and nuance of the characterization, particularly between our central character, Karsa Orlong (who, I’ll tell you now, figures large not only in this novel but in future installments) and Bairoth Gild. I remember being struck by the absolute mastery Erikson exhibits in the drawing of these two characters, each of whom both underestimates and otherwise subtly misunderstands the other, while also absolutely understanding the other in a way that even the other himself does not. There’s something so absolutely authentic about this and at the same time so amazing to see portrayed so well. It’s brilliant.

The action of the story moves gradually from there to show us events from some of the other earlier novels from a different perspective, even while House of Chains is following its own plot. In the process, certain earlier events are clarified and the overall action is taken forward beyond what had been reached in any of the previous novels. Specifically, we see Felisin as Shai’ik reborn, preparing the Army of the Apocalypse for battle with the Malazans as her sister, Tavore, leads that army across through the continent of Seven Cities to put down the rebellion.

I don’t want to offer spoilers, so I’ll keep my comments brief and just say that it’s quite a ride. We see a number of characters we’ve known from previous books: Fiddler, Kalam, Crockus/Cutter, Apsalar, Gessler, Stormy and the rest of the Coast Guard, Felisin and Heboric, the villainous Korbolo Dom and Kamist Reloe, Pearl and Lostara Yil, Iskaral Pust and Morgara, plus cameos by some others (and I’m probably missing some!). Many of these characters see more development here, as we get further inside their heads.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating (probably in every review of every book of this series): I think Erikson understands epic fantasy in the way that is perhaps most true to life: big events require large casts. A big decision that any writer has to make involves the point-of-view character. It's important to have someone in this role who is actually going to be present at all important events, a convention which in the past has led to fictional heroes who are virtually the center of the universe--other characters may exist and earn our interest, but everything really hangs on what so-and-so does. One way to get around this limitation, common in epic fantasy today, is shifting perspectives. This is great, allowing for a larger scope without unrealistic expectations on one character being present for everything and rather more multi-polar storytelling. Erikson (and I don't mean to imply that he's the only one doing this) goes one better--not only do we have a large cast of point-of-view characters, none of them really manages to assume paramount imortance. A question like "who's the main character" loses meaning in The Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

As a result, character development may well be spread out over the course of several novels. That’s going to be hard for some readers to either follow or approve, but I think it’s brilliant for the realism it brings (into a world where many characters have reality-bending magic and power). All of these characters are woven together in such a way that they’re all (well, pretty much all) necessary for the resolution of the plot. And the payoff with these characters is, to me, greater for the fact that we’ve lived with some of these characters so long.

Also, I’m finding that there was an awful lot that I picked up on a second read-through. This is dense writing. I’m a pretty good reader, if I do say so myself, but there was a lot that only really made sense on a second read, because now I had the perspective of having read the first 8 books in the series, so I could see some of the things that were setting up things to come, could sort out some of the larger story that can seem tangential to the main storyline because it’s more relevant to the over-arching story than to the particular novel. Which is to say, I suppose, that you should plan on reading this whole series twice if you really want to appreciate it—and it probably wouldn’t hurt to give it more re-reads than that. (less)

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Sep 30, 2011

Poopoo Mcbumface rated it

House of branes

no branes here

House of Chains was my least favourite of the Malazan novels on first read. It simply felt utterly forgettable after the brilliant, memorable events of Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice slightly painfully seared themselves into my frontal lobe forever. House of Chains, on the other hand, felt like a bunch of people wandering about aimlessly, drifting in and out of OMG NEVER BEFORE VISITED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS!!! warrens and meeting wacky m...moreHouse of branes

no branes here

House of Chains was my least favourite of the Malazan novels on first read. It simply felt utterly forgettable after the brilliant, memorable events of Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice slightly painfully seared themselves into my frontal lobe forever. House of Chains, on the other hand, felt like a bunch of people wandering about aimlessly, drifting in and out of OMG NEVER BEFORE VISITED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS!!! warrens and meeting wacky mythological figures apparently at random, with no rhyme or reason behind any of it, and with a horrendously unsatisfying climax.

Needless to say, this is where the books stop being able to stand on their own as individual novels. Your average person could pick up, say, Memories of Ice and enjoy it immensely (assuming they would enjoy it having read the series), albeit not as much as someone who's read other books in the series. I may be wrong, but it feels like that stops holding true as of House of Chains. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Perhaps in a way, but it's also necessarily going to happen in any series of sufficient complexity. It's also the point where many feel the series starts to go downhill, as Erikson gets "bogged down" in his concepts and bigger picture and stops writing tales as immediately gripping as the previous ones. One thing's for certain; from this point onwards, Erikson demands a lot more in the way of patience from the reader. Whether it will prove worth it... up to you.

House of Chains starts off by throwing the reader for a bit of a loop. The prologue focuses on someone we've never met - a Tiste Edur called Trull Sengar - being "shorn" by his kin, struck from their histories and left to die. The first act (the novels being split into four parts) continues looping, throwing us a few years into the past and focusing entirely on one character: Karsa Orlong. At first glance, he's a deconstruction of the "noble savage" trope popularised by Conan the Barbarian, but he proves so much more... eventually. After following his colourful adventures leading up to the situation we meet him in in Deadhouse Gates, somewhat normal service is resumed. From here on out, the novel brings us back to familiar ground, following Adjunct Tavore's punitive army as it seeks to take back Seven Cities from the Whirlwind rebellion. We'll be getting to know this motley crew very well over the course of the series, and Tavore herself might be the most important character of all. While I will admit that my first reaction to them was thinking of them as a poor man's Bridgeburners, the situation couldn't be different re-reading. One of the major themes of the series is that of old powers being replaced with the new, of stagnation leading to death. The Bridgeburners are gone; the army that will come to be called the Bonehunters have some big shoes to fill, and we'll see them go through their own trials and burn their own bridges to become a fitting successor to the veteran army we know and love. The book takes equal space to show us the inside of Sha'ik's rebel encampment and the wacky goings-on within, and while the advent of the Bonehunters is interesting and rewarding from a re-reader's perspective, the rebel point of view is a far more immediately eventful and absorbing arc. To be honest, the former simply drags at times. We also follow more minor events, such as the continued adventures of Crokus, Kalam, Trull Sengar and the Claw Pearl. These mostly take the form of bumbling through warrens, upsetting ancient buried secrets and farting their way through increasingly bizarre situations until they somehow end up where they're going. This is an intentional style, to be fair, and the Odyssey parallel is obvious. Erikson refines it (and tones it down) later in the series; unfortunately, in House of Chains, it often simply feels like a disjointed series of video game levels. Combined with the ultimately dissatisfying conclusion of the main story arc, and House of Chains remains probably the weakest book in the series from a purely plot-focused point of view.

The main theme of the book, as slightly suggested by the title, is chains. From the physical chains and chains of kin and law that Trull opens the novel under, the chains of civilisation (literal and metaphorical) that Karsa finds himself straining to break, to the chains of prophecy, circumstance and expectation weighing down Felisin, to the chains of blood and family tying the Parans to each other and pulling them inexorably deeper into their fate, to the chains of worship and bondage that enslave a god to its followers. This is a lot of chains. Enslavement in all its forms proves a prominent theme of the series, and House of Chains, true to its name, is where we see it begin to properly emerge.

So, for all my negative points so far, it's far from a bad book. For those re-reading, there's an incredible wealth of foreshadowing and set-ups that in some cases won't be clear until the end of the series - pay attention to an almost incidental act of Karsa's during a certain barracks raid - and, as mentioned, witnessing the first steps of Tavore's army and her trial by fire as a leader is a very rewarding read. The books are written to be read more than once, and while it's quite a commitment to expect of the reader, anyone who has found the time to re-read them can affirm the truth of it. However, later books manage to hold up on their own accord, and don't fall prey to House of Chain's smattering of narrative weaknesses in doing so. This book needed to happen, and nothing that occurs is without importance; none of this changes the fact that, as a novel, it might well be the dullest instalment of the series.

From any other author, House of Chains would still deserve four stars. But as compared to the rest of Erikson's work, it's a definite three. Still, if you're still with us on finishing it, you've likely granted it the enjoyment it really does deserve. And if you struggled through it... well, greater things await.
(less)

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Mar 25, 2009

Bill rated it

Shelves: fantasy

had been told that he loved to leave little hints about the future, bits of foreshadowing and what not, all over the place but I didn't really appreciate that until this book because this was the first time those connections were actually being made.

While Erikson still doesn't do much in terms of direct descriptions of people or places he does manage to subtly give you a lot of details on various characters and nations. In fact, I could easily see myself reading books that just focuse...more

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Nov 15, 2011

Nicki rated it

· review of another edition

After the monumental scale of the last two Malazan books, the beginning of House of Chains is quite a change of pace. After the usual mysterious prologue that dovetails neatly with later events, we jump back to before the events of Gardens of the Moon and pick up the journey of a single character. Karsa Orlong is a young Teblor warrior from an extremely isolated society, and he has no awareness of the greater world of the Malazan Empire, the lands it tries to conquer, of ancient races or meddlin...moreAfter the monumental scale of the last two Malazan books, the beginning of House of Chains is quite a change of pace. After the usual mysterious prologue that dovetails neatly with later events, we jump back to before the events of Gardens of the Moon and pick up the journey of a single character. Karsa Orlong is a young Teblor warrior from an extremely isolated society, and he has no awareness of the greater world of the Malazan Empire, the lands it tries to conquer, of ancient races or meddling gods. His concerns are with carving a reputation for himself among his clan the way that his grandfather did, and having now marked his passage into manhood he rides out with two of his fellow young warriors (calling them "friends" might be a stretch) to commit a daring raid and set two of their neighbouring clans at war.

As his naïveté is peeled back the aspects of the Malazan world with which we're already familiar -- the T'lan Imass, Icarium, etc. -- are unravelled from a wholly different perspective. The Teblor have been separated from the outer world for so long that it seems they remember little of it at all. Up until now Erikson's quite artfully woven a story in which the reader knows less than almost all of the people they're reading about, so it's definitely a novelty to be in the opposite situation and have fun piecing together clues as to whether the people, places and legends that Karsa encounters are the familiar principal players of the world. Karsa's not always the easiest character to read about, though. He rapes, maims and murders, he's single-minded and suffers no fools, and he initially seems quite devoid of compassion. It's a testament to Erikson's skill that a character who is despicable by any modern standard is so engaging to read about. And he grows in leaps and bounds, moreso, I think, than any other character in the series to date, for his arrogance and belief that his people have the right of it cannot survive contact with the larger world, and he bends rather than breaking.

The story stays with Karsa, through a series of ridiculously unlucky events that showcase his proclivity for breaking any chains that bind him, until it ties into the beginning of Deadhouse Gates, then it jumps ahead to the end of the Deadhouse Gates/Memories of Ice timeline and picks up where Seven Cities left off. Adjunct Tavore is preparing to take the Fourteenth Army to Raraku to confront Sha'ik. The Malazans will be marching the Chain of Dogs in reverse, and the untried new Adjunct has many veterans looking to her to live up to Coltaine's legacy. Behind the Whirlwind Wall, Sha'ik is plagued by mistrust and betrayal -- her councillors all have their own agendas, and some of them collide messily. Crokus, Apsalar and her father have reached her home village in Ito Kan, only to discover it a place bereft of life. When despair claims her father's life, they look for a reason to leave and a place to go, and Crokus finds their answer by agreeing to serve the interests of Cotillion and embracing a new identity as the assassin Cutter. Erikson once again shows his knack for creating wonderful, unlikely friendships, this time between a T'lan Imass and an outcast Tiste Edur...

I'm only scratching the surface there. We see other old faces too, including a couple of stray Bridgeburners. There's no denying that the second half of the book is action packed. I loved the dry wit that peppered the exchanges between Onrack and Trull Sengar. I loved seeing Cotillion in action with his titular rope! It was good to see more exploration and explanation of certain warrens and their fates and interconnectedness, though some of it had to be read twice to make my head stop spinning. I took a lot of satisfaction from the conclusion as well, chaotic and bittersweet (and sort of anti-climactic, but honestly, in a fitting way) though it was. Contrary to Memories of Ice, where some of the best moments centered around battle, most of the deeply affecting parts of House of Chains are subdued, such as reflections from the Malazan soldiers en route to Raraku.

It was just lacking some of that Malazan magic. I couldn't get into a lot of the dithering that went on at Sha'ik's camp, important dithering though it may have been. I am tired of Crokus, or Cutter, and though he'd started to show some personality in Deadhouse Gates it's certainly missing in action here; worse, he's dragged Apsalar down with him (though she does feature in one of my favourite scenes with Cotillion). I'm really ready for their story to be over. I wish the introduction of the Tiste Liosan had been half as interesting as it promised to be, but sadly they remain little more than haughty caricatures throughout the book. I also think the author addressed some serious topics, namely rape and female genital mutilation, in a way that had the potential to be powerful but never got there. The acts themselves were written sensitively but there was no space for the emotional fallout to actually take place, and while I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say it trivialised the issues, if the emotional impact beyond the act itself wasn't going to be written out was it really necessary to include them in the first place? Of course, this is a series, and perhaps it is necessary to be patient and allow time for things to play out in the sequels.

I wish Erikson could have kept the 5-star run going; nonetheless, this is still a really solid and enjoyable entry in the series, well-deserving of your attention. I go on to Midnight Tides with undiminished enthusiasm, but the hope that Malazan will wring my heart again the way it did with Memories of Ice.(less)

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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

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Sep 21, 2011

Clint rated it

Shelves: 2011

Another 1000 page book full of undead wizards, explosions, assassins, barbarians, evil gods and goddesses, rape, torture, and extreme gore. I know that probably sounds so fucking awesome, and it is, but I kind of feel the Malazan books are getting so big and complex that the writer's kind of losing control. He should have spent twice as long writing these books as he did (I think I read somewhere he said he took about 8 months to finish one, which, given the size and complexity of the books, I...more

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Jul 23, 2011

Ruth rated it

c2002. This was such a big book (hardcover), that I kept trying to stop reading it as it was (literally) a pain in the neck to read. However, the story just grabbed me and I could not put it down (leading to the taking of several pain killers). It has been some time since I read the first 2 books and I had forgotten how much Mr Erikson's writing enthralls me. It is a superb tale but, oh, so confusing with all the characters etc. I like to think that I can retain information but found that I was ...more

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Sep 20, 2011

Brian rated it

I have very mixed feelings about House of Chains. There were some things about it that I really liked and others that I didn't. I liked the characters and narrative arc; I didn't like the "convenience" of the ending or the way parts of the story felt forced.

This was the first of the four books that really seemed to explain the background and history of the races, conflicts, etc. Through the first three books, I constantly felt lost. Now for the first time, the gaps are sta...more

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Apr 06, 2010

Viridian5 rated it

Shelves: fantasy

I've been making my slow way through the colossal novels of Steven Erikson's The Malazan Books of the Fallen, and I have to say that House of Chains is the most involving of the group so far. Everything really starts to come together here. I'm not saying that nothing happens in the prior books--tons of things happen to hundreds of people--but House of Chains is where everybody's stories really start to intersect and add to each other. It truly builds off the events of the last three books and sh...more

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Aug 08, 2011

Craig rated it

· review of another edition

This just keeps getting better and better. After being (mildly) disappointed with Memories of Ice, I was really terribly pleased with House of Chains. I have to admit that it took me a little while to get into it - I didn't really see what Karsa Orlong (the main character in the first section) had to do with anything - but in the end I have to say that he's one of the most fascinating characters to be introduced so far, and I can't wait to see where the story takes him.

As for the r...more

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Jun 20, 2011

Rob rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: random-comments-review

...I appreciated what Erikson tried to do with this book a bit more on this second read. As with the three previous books, I picked up a lot of stuff I missed during my first pass through this part of the story. I still feel Erikson is building a bit too much in this novel. It is a bridge to the third major story line Erikson will open in Midnight Tides and events that will take place in The Bonehunters and beyond, but it doesn't stand on its own quite as well as the previous books did. That bei...more

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Apr 29, 2011

Tim rated it

· review of another edition

After a rocky start, I am really enjoying this series. I liked House of Chains just as much as I liked Memories of Ice. My concerns about switching characters again turned out to be unwarranted. I liked returning to the threads that started in Deadhouse Gates and liked the characters that reappeared even more this time.

I also liked the formal introduction of Karsa Orlong. After figuring out who he was, I reread passages that concerned him in Deadhouse Gates. It was neat to see how he ...more

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Jan 30, 2011

Christopher H. rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, canadian-authors-translators, fantasy-scifi, modern-literature, malazan-book-of-the-fallen, favorites, read-in-2011, favorite-rereads

House of Chains is the fourth volume in Steven Erikson's monumental ten-volume series entitled, "The Malazan Book of the Fallen." This book follows the first three in continuing to flesh out the world and characters that Erikson has so brilliantly created.

The first quarter, or so, of the novel tells the back-story of a character that we briefly met in the second book in the series (Deadhouse Gates)--that of the 'Toblakai' or as we come to find out, the great Teblor warrior...moreHouse of Chains is the fourth volume in Steven Erikson's monumental ten-volume series entitled, "The Malazan Book of the Fallen." This book follows the first three in continuing to flesh out the world and characters that Erikson has so brilliantly created.

The first quarter, or so, of the novel tells the back-story of a character that we briefly met in the second book in the series (Deadhouse Gates)--that of the 'Toblakai' or as we come to find out, the great Teblor warrior, Karsa Orlong. Again, it bears repeating that Erikson's professional training as an archaeologist and anthropologist has infused his characters and the fictional landscapes with a scent of authenticity that one rarely, if ever, encounters in fiction.

Following the fascinating recounting Karsa's story in the northern wilds of the continent of Genibackis, Erikson then focuses much of the remaining book on the Malazan 14th Army's efforts to defeat 'Sha'ik's Whirlwind' in the 'Holy Raraku Desert' on the continent of 'Seven Cities. This is some epic military fiction, told from the perspectives of the Army Commander herself down to the squad-level grunts themselves.

The last two-hundred pages, as is typical for Erikson, proceed at break-neck speed, the action and pacing just relentless. I am learning that Erikson is a big believer in 'convergence.' When s**t starts happening, more and bigger s**t starts happening; and the next thing you know there are just major events leaping off of every page. I truly defy any reader to set one these books down with anything under two-hundred pages remaining, it simply ain't possible.

Finally, one must always keep the 'First Eriksonian Law' firmly at the forefront as one reads--"Pay very close attention to every word read and event described." The 'Second Eriksonian Law' is equally applicable--"Every word read and event described has meaning that may not be initially understood." Those conversations, or actions of characters, or puzzling events that seem a little odd or inexplicable always seem to reappear as a 'light-bulb' moment later on when all then becomes clear (at least for that moment). The bottom-line is that Steven Erikson really is an enormously clever writer, and his authorial use of the craft of foreshadowing is some of the best I've run across. There just ain't anybody writing fiction like this guy! House of Chains is a very worthy addition to this magnificent series.(less)

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Dec 31, 2011

Sebastien rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fan de Malazan et de série Dark Fantasy

Shelves: dark-fantasy

J'ai longtemps hésité avant de commencer à lire ce livre, car à partir de ce livre les critique sur internet semble aller dans deux sens l'un l'auteur n'est plus capable d'écrire comme avant, l'autre l'auteur est de meilleur en meilleur. comme je ne croyais pas possible que l'auteur puisse surpasser Memories of Ice, je me suis dit que je serais déçu du reste de la série. Cependant après avoir fini Sword of Truth, j'avais besoin d'un roman consistant, je n'était pas encore prêt à lire un roman ...moreJ'ai longtemps hésité avant de commencer à lire ce livre, car à partir de ce livre les critique sur internet semble aller dans deux sens l'un l'auteur n'est plus capable d'écrire comme avant, l'autre l'auteur est de meilleur en meilleur. comme je ne croyais pas possible que l'auteur puisse surpasser Memories of Ice, je me suis dit que je serais déçu du reste de la série. Cependant après avoir fini Sword of Truth, j'avais besoin d'un roman consistant, je n'était pas encore prêt à lire un roman facile ou légé. Je voulais de la viande et c'est ce que j'ai donc décider de commencer à consommer.

House of chains est un roman qui commence très différemment des livres précédents. Il commence avec un personnage qui à première vue paraît très antipathique du nom de Kursa. Son rêve, aller tuer des enfants... wow, j'ai tout de suite imaginé comment l'auteur pouvait perdre le contrôle avec une idée comme celle là. Cependant, le personnage était un géant de 8 pied et semblait être le personnage principale pour tout le premier livre (si vous être rendu là vous savez que les roman de Steven Erickson sont divisé en livre, sinon eh bien je vous l'apprend). Donc, je je continue de lire et éventuellement je me frappe au visage quand les "enfants" sont en fait nous les humains. Il appelle des enfant, la race des homme qui sont si petit. C'est à ce moment que j'ai su que mon côté de la critique irait vers les bon livre.

Les aventure de Kursa sont vraiment très intéressante car c'est un barbare géant (ceux qui me connaissent comprennent pourquoi j'ai autant aimer cette première partie). Tellement j'ai aimer cette première partie que j'ai été déçu quand j'ai vu qu'on retombait dans le mode "histoire à grand déploiement". Car après le premier livre on revient avec la suite des événement de Deadhouse Gate. C'est là que (si vous vous en êtes pas encore rendu compte) vous apprenez qu'on l'avait déjà vu Karsa, il portait juste un autre nom dans le deuxième roman. Donc j'étais presque fou de joie de savoir qu'on verrait encore ce personnage pour lequel j'avais développer beaucoup d'intérêt.

Le reste du roman est très bon et n'obtient pas son 5 étoiles juste parce qu'il n'est pas aussi intense que le roman précédent. Aussi, parce que le combat finale, bien qu'intéressant, m'a un peu laisser sur ma faim. J'en aurais voulu plus, j'ai goûté au final supérieur du roman précédent et j'aurais voulu avoir la même chose. Peut-être que j'en demandait trop, mais à cause de cela j'ai dû couper une étoile de ma critique.

Donc en outre, un excellent roman à la hauteur de la série jusqu'à maintenant. Je le recommande à toute personne qui apprécie la série jusqu'à maintenant. Surtout aux fan de Barbare comme moi ;).(less)

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Aug 04, 2011

Mirko rated it

Couldn't put it down. With this fourth book I found the place in my heart for Steven Erikson. Personally, it was much better that third part (Memories of Ice), but when I reconsider that I haven't been devoted to third piece like this, and haven't read it in such a short period like this one (3 weeks), then probably that's the reason why I enjoyed this part so much more.
In this book plot returns to continent where the second book finished and deals with its characters. It lefts much unfinished ...more

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Sep 13, 2009

Raja rated it

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Shelves: fantasy

The first part of House of Chains is the single longest cohesive block of writing that is in any of the books so far -- some two hundred and fifty pages of a single point of view told sequentially. Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also by far the best writing in the series to this point, a compelling (if disturbing) narrative from the viewpoint of a murderous, rapacious monster of a barbarian.

The rest of the book is about as good as the other entries in the series, making this quite...more

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Feb 03, 2010

Steve rated it

At the beginning of the book, the protagonist of House of Chains, one Karsa Orlong, is among the single least likable characters I've ever come across. A member of a rather aggressive nomadic people, Karsa is absentmindedly focused on the glory of slaughter, with only a slight distraction permitted for rape. His goal, on his initial raid, is to slaughter the children of his enemies. This could be forgiven, perhaps, had he some other redeeming qualities, but no, he's basically a prick, to ever...more

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Jun 21, 2011

Julie rated it

Shelves: kindle, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 05, 2011

Michele rated it

· review of another edition

My.. mind.. is blown. I couldn't put the book down for the last hundred pages or so. Story and characters are actually engaging for once in this series (lol), and I hope to read more about Karsa in other books.

The author seems to have improved on his various flaws of technique since the first book, and I hope this means the books keep getting better and better as the series progresses. It's kind of painful to see the author's awesome creative genius being at constant war with his stu...more

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May 15, 2011

Kay rated it

Shelves: fantasy

This was another good edition to the series. It was interesting to be involved with one character for so long, but once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. At first I really disliked the character of Karsa but I he went through so much and there was a lot of growth in his character that I really enjoyed reading about him the futher into the story I got. I also enjoyed the parts with Heboric and of course Kalam who is a great character. I also liked the parts with Crokus and Apsalar. I did...more

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Jan 21, 2012

Jan Kjellin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, biblioteksbok, pocket

It starts off as being the best work I've read by Erikson. The way he describes the culture of the Teblor and reintroduces Karsa Orlong, whom we've already met in Deadhouse Gates almost without hints as to why and how this has anything to do with previous entries in the series. (And because he changed his namne later on, I did not realize who Karsa Orlong was until much later in the book.) Since I started reading this just after Memories of Ice, that made it feel fresh and inriguing. I don't thi...moreIt starts off as being the best work I've read by Erikson. The way he describes the culture of the Teblor and reintroduces Karsa Orlong, whom we've already met in Deadhouse Gates almost without hints as to why and how this has anything to do with previous entries in the series. (And because he changed his namne later on, I did not realize who Karsa Orlong was until much later in the book.) Since I started reading this just after Memories of Ice, that made it feel fresh and inriguing. I don't think I would've appreciated to stay in the company of the Bridgeburners right away.

Speaking of the Bridgeburners, they do play their roles in this adventure as well. And one of my favorite assassins, Kalam Mekhar, is back with a vengeance. But their presence is disturbed by hordes of new characters, new races and warrens and dragons and big fish. It's really messy, although averything is as over-the-top as usual, so while I on one hand want to be very critical, I also must admit that every page leaves me smiling with delight at everything that's happening.

I've mentioned in one of my other Malazan reviews that Erikson's novels remind me of my sejours as a roleplayer. It is so in this book as well. Almost every character seems to have been "played". Be it a god or a Bridgeburner or an undead warrior or even a demon - they possess all too human flaws. That make them believable, believe it or not.

So while I'm bothered by Erikson's habit of throwing a barrage of new characters at me, I'm also thankful that these same characters are so damned enjoyable to read about. They save this book. It's the characters that make it worth reading.

Because the story... I cannot even begin to try to describe it. There is - of course - the main storyline of the forming of the House of Chains, but it's so shattered (which in itself is ironic, given the underlying theme of said house and it's members) that it's too hard to follow it to also be able to enjoy it. There's also the ongoing saga of the Bridgeburners, but that one moves along so slowly that it's almost painful. The Shakespearian climax of the clash in Raraku turns into an anticlimax and the build-up to that climax is nothing short of a mess.

No. I had too much of a hard time getting to know these new characters while at the same time trying to create a coherent storyline to enjoy this book as much as I have the previous three. But at the same time, this is fantasy as it should be (at least in theory) and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy reading it.

The rather neutral "I enjoyed it" is a suitable rating for this one.(less)

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Jun 02, 2011

David Kerr-wilson rated it

OK - Reviewed Books 1,6 & 10 individually with my opinion. This review is for the series. This whole series in the alternate reality created by Erikson is a great long tale. It is enjoyable, but can be frustrating at times. The author introduces a great many characters, races, nationalities. It is truly epic. It is also truly difficult to keep track of who is who. There are a great many sections that could stand alone as short stories. The concepts and action are well delivered, but the di...more

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Jun 02, 2010

Ryan rated it

Shelves: highly-recommended

The Malazan Book of the Fallen continues to get better and better. House of Chains did what I thought impossible: it upped the ante and introduced a score of new, interesting characters. Karsa Orlong was by far my favorite addition, and I can't wait to see what he does in subsequent books.

The more books I read, the more I get used to Erikson's style. I love how he fluidly slips through points of view. He is masterful at developing characters and obtaining the right balance betw...more

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Jan 28, 2012

Elizabeth Baxter rated it

It has taken me a long time to read this book. Not because I didn't enjoy it and not because the story didn't grip me. It's just that other things seem to have come between me and House of Chains. For instance, I got a brand-new Kindle for Christmas and have been busy falling in love with this and all the brilliant stories I’ve discovered. But last night I curled up with House of Chains and managed to finish it. I have to say even though I love my Kindle, there is still nothing that beats ...more
It has taken me a long time to read this book. Not because I didn't enjoy it and not because the story didn't grip me. It's just that other things seem to have come between me and House of Chains. For instance, I got a brand-new Kindle for Christmas and have been busy falling in love with this and all the brilliant stories I’ve discovered. But last night I curled up with House of Chains and managed to finish it. I have to say even though I love my Kindle, there is still nothing that beats curling up on the couch with a good paperback.
House of Chains is the fourth instalment of Eriksson's mammoth epic fantasy series, The Malazan Book of the Fallen. We return to many of the characters that we met in the second book, Deadhouse Gates, and in essence the story is really the culmination of the rebellion on the continent of Seven Cities and the final showdown between the sisters Felisin and Tavore. But we meet many new characters as well. The best of these has to be Karsa Orlong who is your classic, sword wielding barbarian. He's not very nice but he's still one of the best characters in the book. How is it possible to like a character who is essentially a rapist and murderer? I don't know, but that attests to Erikson's skill in creating his characters.
As always, the story is complex and the reader is left to work out a lot for themselves. The characters often make obscure remarks to each other that the reader doesn't get and that are important in revealing plot points late in the story. As things were revealed throughout the book I often found myself skipping back to an earlier spot and thinking, “Oh right that's what he meant when he said that. Now I get it.” That's Eriksson style. It might not suit some, but I really like it.
In this story there's lots of fighting, killing, nasty gods and even nastier humans. But there's also humour, camaraderie and sizzling dialogue. The culmination of the story, where Felisin finally meets her sister, is very poignant and moving. If you like complex narrative, with a stunning array of characters and lots of epic action, this fantasy is for you.
(less)

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Nov 04, 2011

Traci rated it

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

Four out four five star ratings...I'm pretty sure no other author or series has caused this sort of reaction from me. I don't even know where to start with this review. Just wow. To start just when I thought I had a handle on the world of Malazan Erikson throws a curve ball with Karsa Orlong. Who is he? What is he? Where is he? When is he? The mystery of it had me scratching my head in a way that I haven't since Lost was on. And what could have been an Ana Lucia, or worse a Nicki and Paulo, mome...moreFour out four five star ratings...I'm pretty sure no other author or series has caused this sort of reaction from me. I don't even know where to start with this review. Just wow. To start just when I thought I had a handle on the world of Malazan Erikson throws a curve ball with Karsa Orlong. Who is he? What is he? Where is he? When is he? The mystery of it had me scratching my head in a way that I haven't since Lost was on. And what could have been an Ana Lucia, or worse a Nicki and Paulo, moment never was. I enjoyed reading about Karsa from begining to end. In parts it reminded me of some of my favorite pulp fantasy, like Fritz Leiber's Grey Mouser or Moorcock's Elric. One little thing....(view spoiler)

Quick Ben. Kalam. Cotillion. Anomander Rake. Caladan Brood. With all of these flashy, mysterious, cool characters I'm not sure how it happened but my favorite character, in atleast two books now, might just be Fiddler. At first his transformation into Strings was odd to me. From Gardens of the Moon...well let's face it he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. And here he's supposed to be a leader? It seemed like Erikson was writing for Whiskeyjack. But then the character became something different and human with all of the fear and nervousness. Instead of Erikson writing as though he needed another Whiskeyjack it became more like the character would copy how to lead from the greatest leader he knew. (view spoiler)

I just loved this book. So many scenes...(view spoiler)

I think I am in danger of becoming a Malazan fanatic. I could not be happier though. Now to start Midnight Tides.(less)

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Sep 11, 2011

Gavin rated it

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The first part is so well written, though the glee at all the raping and pillaging sometimes took a little too much precedence over the horror of it, which was fine but felt more like heaving fan fiction, the writer at the whim of his character's pleasures rather than in cool governance. But after the first part, the old attempt to weave a dozen different stories together felt wandering and dilatory. The Pearl/Lostara Yil "romance" was the most awkward, and their plotline served very l...more

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

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