Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #3)

by Steven Erikson

‘Toc the Younger,’ Tool interrupted, ‘do you mock me, or your own ignorance? Not even the lichen of the tundra is at peace. All is struggle, all is war for dominance. Those who lose, vanish.’ ‘And we’re no different, you’re saying—’ ‘We are, soldier. We possess the privilege of choice. The gift of foresight. Though often we come too late in acknowledging those responsibilities …’

‘Pragmatic soldiers,’ the Mhybe said, ‘are the most frightening among the people whom I have known in my short life.’

That hammer of his … it’s said that it’s the only thing that can awaken Burn. Swing it against the ground, hard enough, and the goddess will open her eyes. And the truth is, if Brood didn’t have the strength to do so, he wouldn’t be carrying the hammer in the first place.’

Paran grimaced. ‘I’ve enough wars to deal with as it is, Raest.’ ‘They are all one.’

‘Almost twelve hundred years, this burden—’ ‘And if she dies?’ He shook his head. ‘I do not know. Her warren dies, surely, that at the least, even as it becomes the Crippled God’s pathway into every other warren … then they all die.’ ‘And with that, all sorcery.’

He has bulk, aye, but it passes unnoticed behind a deadly grace. Fener save us all, the Tiger of Summer’s ghost walks in this man’s shadow.

erikson just casually dropping the hardest descriptions for every character