Night of Knives (Novels of the Malazan Empire, #1) in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Jan 26, 2009 Chris Haught rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-owned-paperback, malazan-books

This is a good book. It isn't a great book. It sorta falls in the middle.

What I liked: the pace of the action. It's pretty steady throughout the book. I also like how the plot is centered around a single night in Malazan history, a very important night indeed. I liked the main characters (Temper and Kiska) and thought they were explored fairly deeply. The ending was satisfactory on the whole, seeming to wrap everything up nicely. I absolutely loved Temper's backstory, and his relationship to the ...more

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Mar 30, 2016 Jason Waltz rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, keeper, favorite, fantastical, heroic, awesome-characters, own, malazan, signed, personalized

This is difficult. I failed to rate/review NOK when I first read it, and re-reading it now - after having read all of Esslemont's others, including one of my absolute favorites, Dancer's Lament - brings different emotions and reactions. I do know that when I first read this, I did not enjoy Esslemont's writing near as much as Erikson's; I also know I thought it was a tad confusing. Yet I also remember thinking what a cool concept it was, the events of Shadowthrone and Cotillion's birth, and all ...more

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Jan 23, 2018 Ross Kitson rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a tricky review to write, as the first inclination is to compare to Erikson (having not long ago completed the Malazan Book of the Fallen). I'm writing this anticipating a reader would have at least begun that series (I'd say you'd need at least 3 or 4 books in the main series under your belt before reading this). If we compare to Erikson, ICE hasn't the depth or the style of characterisation that make the MBOTF series so outstanding, but in that he spares us the slower pace, and excessi This is a tricky review to write, as the first inclination is to compare to Erikson (having not long ago completed the Malazan Book of the Fallen). I'm writing this anticipating a reader would have at least begun that series (I'd say you'd need at least 3 or 4 books in the main series under your belt before reading this). If we compare to Erikson, ICE hasn't the depth or the style of characterisation that make the MBOTF series so outstanding, but in that he spares us the slower pace, and excessive philosophy that bogged down some of the Malazan's main series books later on.

Nigh of the Knives is certainly accessible, and the writing style relaxed and easy to follow. It follows the seminal events of the night that Surly staged her coup and became Empress, renamed as Lasseen. So naturally we have the key players involved--Dancer, and Kellanved, Tayschrenn, and Topper--as witnessed through the eyes of a thief, Kiska, resident of Malaz Isle, and Temper, a veteran of the desert campaigns in hiding amongst the guard of Mock's Hold.

The fact the story and action is condensed into one night gives an urgency to the narrative that compensates for the restriction in the scope of the tale. At times the pace the characters endure, with repeated incapacitation, gets a little implausible. However ICE throws in some real gems--the use of Warrens, the Deadhouse, the intriguing Riders, and lots of the Claw, as well as a key flashback to Dassem. He pitches just right, with enough material to keep Malazan fans happy, but falls short on the complexity of characterisation that we came to enjoy with Erikson. Everyone seems a bit diluted, a touch too amenable, when compared to the main series. Even those we've met before seem a lite-version, with Tayschrenn ('Tay') being written a loveable wizard, rather than the more scheming unsociable mage of the main series.

They're minor grumbles, but despite the pace and ease of reading, it lacked the buzz of the main series, although great to read the history, and more books written in the 'shared universe' of the Malazan Empire.

So a 3/5, but a definite hook for the next book, and enough about his style to want to read more Esslemont.
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May 27, 2016 Dan rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I would have given it 3.5 if that was possible. A good read for those already hooked on the Malazan empire books but otherwise not an essential read. Decent plot and characterisations but maybe padded out a bit, I will read more of Ian C Esslemonts books but they do not compare to the Stephen Erickson books ...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Gerald Black rated it really liked it

Somewhat confusing at times, but well written tale. I actually enjoyed this more than the Erikson offerings based in the same world. There was a dark tone throughout and many heroic and epic battles. The characters were larger than life and more memorable than in the Books of the Fallen.

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