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REVIEW: The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
Steven Erikson’s The Bonehunters is a bloody, ash-covered success that fulfills the promise of war whispered by House of Chains. While the philosophy, sarcasm, and mystery that Erikson is known are found in spades in The Bonehunters, readers should prepare for fire, chaos, claustrophobia, and one of the greatest convergences in Malazan.
“Show me a god that does not demand mortal suffering.
Show me a god that celebrates diversity, a celebration that embraces even non-believers, and is not threatened by them.
Show me a god that understands the meaning of peace. In life, not in death.”
The Bonehunters is where we really start to see how everything comes together. For those who haven’t read Malazan that sounds almost impossible: we’re on book six and over a million words in. Erikson, however, has been keeping his secrets close to the chest and doling out information slowly, and now, finally, we begin to see the pieces clicking into place.
The plot of The Bonehunters is nothing short of outstanding. It has war, betrayal, tragedy, and the most frantic fight outside of Abercrombie’s The Heroes. This is arguably Erikson’s fastest pace novel to date, and even though the book is 350,000 words and there’s a chapter that’s 120 pages long, it never, ever feels slow. We alternate between balls-to-the-walls kickassery and normal pace, all the while Erikson takes us on this epic journey.
Action-wise, it’s arguably Erikson’s best. I may lean towards giving the nod to Memories of Ice, and there’s pockets of greatness in the other novels, but The Bonehunters evokes an epic feeling of danger that I’m just not sure I’ve seen anywhere else. I said this already, but there’s a 120 page chapter in this book and damn it, it flies by. It’s gritty and gruesome and horrible, but it’s so perfectly written that you feel like you’re there, breathing in smoke and slicing your way through the city.
It’s not just swords and flames that impress in The Bonehunters. There’s magic on display that’s wielded as cleverly and beautifully as ever; there’s undead, confused and desperate; there’s gods trying to reap their own benefits. However, we never lose the human element in these stories, even as they’re often made to feel like ants in a whirlwind.
Speaking of the human element, the banter and resigned sarcasm of the soldiers is tip-top. Hellian may be the funniest character in Malazan (although I’d still give it to Tehol) but the other soldiers never lose their edge. At this point, you should be familiar enough to know Erikson’s humor to know if it’s for you. The Bonehunters is at times more “in your face,” but it’s still the same style that we’ve grown used to.
Beneath the banter, though, some of the soldiers hint at mystery, and it’s arguably Erikson’s most enticing yet. One squad in particular meets in the shadows, never fully nefariously, but never innocently either. It doesn’t even feel morally grey or detrimental to the army’s goals, which makes it all the more enticing.
“Discipline is as much facing the enemy within as the enemy before you; for without critical judgment, the weapon you wield delivers- and let us not be coy here- naught but murder.
And its first victim is the moral probity of your cause.”
There’s essentially two climaxes in The Bonehunters. Both feature a convergence that was hinted at for a long time, but they’re also utterly unique from each other. One is fire, one is shadow. As always, Erikson brings these convergences to mind-bending greatness, but they’re so different that you really have to appreciate how he does it.
I only have one nitpick with this novel, and unfortunately it comes right at the end. Going into the details of it would put us strictly in spoiler territory, but all I can say is that one group that was promised to be a dire threat fell flat. This single scene felt almost cartoonish to me, and it is one of the main things I remember about The Bonehunters due to where it’s placed.
Regardless, this book is another masterpiece from Erikson. The Bonehunters is frequently listed as a favorite by the fans and it’s for good reason. If you’re reading this review because you found Midnight Tides too slow or philosophical, The Bonehunters will re-ignite your love for this series; if you happened to read this review because you’re considering the series as a whole, then go forth and trust in Erikson.
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