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"'He who rises shall fall. He who falls shall be forgotten.'
So said Gothos. Although, alas, it seems we must wait for ever before his name fades into oblivion."

I think I'm the only one who would trade in an instant that Tiste Civil War prequel - as well as this upcoming Karsa Orlong spinoff - for, at least, a 50 pages long short story about Jaghut named Gothos.
Written in first person POV.

"The man remembers what he reads. Making him decidedly dangerous, not to mention occasionally tedious."

- Spinnock Durav

You know when you notice someone liking your review...
and then couple of minutes later they dislike it, or revoke their given like?
Maybe you have noticed that sometime.

But, when that happens, am I the only who's like: "Yes! They've read it!"

I mean, thought or two on what bothered them in the review itself would be much more appreciated, of course.
They can keep their like.

Oh well...

"The ravaged face revealed its truth in a cascade of details, from the seamed scars of past failures to which, by virtue of his having survived them, he was indifferent, to whatever lesson they might hold."

Rhulad. Hostage within his own body. Within his own mind.
Unable to see he was not alone.

"There have been armies. Burdened with names, the legacy of meetings, of battles, of betrayals.
The history behind the name is each army's secret language. One that no-one else can understand, much less share.
Dassem Ultor, Bridgeburners, Coltain's 7th.
We are Bonehunters.
We shall be our own witness, and that will be enough."

'What do you mean when you say “Togg’s teats”?’

‘Togg’s a god.’

‘Not a goddess?’

‘No.’

‘Then its teats are—’

‘Useless. Precisely.’

‘What of the others? “Hood’s Breath”?’

‘Hood is the Lord of Death.’

‘Thus . . . no breath.’

‘Correct.’

‘Beru’s mercy?’

‘She has no mercy.’

‘Mowri fend?’

‘The Lady of the Poor fends off nothing.’

‘Your people have a strange relationship with your gods.’

‘You two are worse than advocates.' H said,
'And you don’t want to know what I do with the souls of advocates.’

M frowned. ‘S, what are advocates?’

‘A profession devoted to the subversion of laws for profit,’ he replied,
‘When I was [...], I considered butchering them all.’

‘So why didn’t you?’

‘The [...] Advocate said it’d be a terrible mistake.’

Redmask with his guardians: (photogenic mister on the left) Sag'Churok and (shy lady on the far right) Gunth Mach.

"Each time after slaying the beast, Sag'Churok would yield the carcass to Gunth Mach, until she'd eaten her fill."

Relationship goals right there.

"He had once believed that all of existence was under the benign control of caring omnipotence. And crickets exists to sing us to sleep.
So what do I now believe?
He would not permit himself a melodramatic laugh in answer to that question. What was the point?
There was no-one nearby to hear it.
Yes, I am cursed to live with my own company.
It's a private curse.
The best kind."

World needs more Gothos.

‘You should choose a better god to worship, Ventrala. Tortured spirits like company, even a god’s.
Then again, perhaps it is the likes of you who have in turn shaped the Crippled God.
Perhaps, without his broken, malformed worshipers, he would have healed long ago.'

Silchas Ruin. In my opinion, most interesting one of the three Purake brothers.

Stumbling upon some occasional great scene in this book and I'm like:



No-one else thinks that's amazing? No? Just me? Okay...

Janul be like



Ahh, Empress... you're warming my heart...

Kyle.
Not something like Anomandaris, or Kaladan, or Sandalath Drukorlath, Rhulad, Kellanved, Silchas Ruin, Dassem Ultor...
Nor Envy, Spite, Dancer, Sorry, Fiddler, Crocus, Tool...
No.
Kyle.

But, I'm just nitpicking. Book is actually good so far.

'You're not just an idiot. You're a fool. Immature. Petty, spiteful, condescending, defensive, aggressive, ignorant, contradictory.
And you're ugly as well.'
'And you need a haircut, Mogora, and I'm just the man to do it.'
'Come near me with with intentions other than amorous and I'll stick you.'
'Amorous? What a horrible thought-'
'What if I told you I was pregnant?'
'I'd kill the mule.'
She leapt at him.

Siege of Y'Ghatan

150 pages 'Of Erikson' in a single chapter.

I like how Samar Dev is trying to explain how hydraulic pump works, and Karsa, savage that he is, is clearly not impressed.
(yes, there's a hydraulic pump in Malazan world)

Then, Karsa finds binoculars, and I kid you not, dialogue goes like this:

K: What's this for?
SD: That makes objects look closer.
K: Well, if I want something closer, I'll simply go to it.
...
Logical. But also infuriating.

'Silence!'
'My lord? I said nothing. Silence. Is he making an observation? Yes, that must be it.
Look back now and say aloud: Indeed, my lord. Silence.
There. How does he react? Is that growing apoplexy?'
'Iskaral Pust!'
'Yes, my lord?'
'I have decided.'
'Yes, my lord? Well, if he's decided something why doesn't he just say it?'
'I have decided...'
'He's doing some more! This god is insane. I serve an insane god!'

Finally got over the Midnight Tides and now I can continue.



Adjunct Tavore, you've been missed.

Hannan Mosag VS Ceda Kuru Qan

"I advise you to not look for hope from your leaders, for they shall feed you naught but lies.
Yet hope exists.
Seek for it in the one who stands at your side, from the stranger upon the other side of the street.
Be brave enough to endeavour to cross that street.
Hope persists, and its voice is compassion, and honest doubt."

'It occurs to me, Brys, that you are more at risk than I am.'
'I am well guarded brother, whilst you are not.'
'Nonsense! I have Bugg!'
'Tehol, this is no time for jokes-'
'Bugg resents that!'
'I do?'
'Well, don't you? I would, if I were you-'
'It seems you just were.'
'My apologies for making you speak out of turn, then.'
'Speaking on your behalf, master, I accept.'
'Relief fills you-'
'Will you two stop it!'

"To achieve peace, destruction is delivered.
This is a studied, deliberate embrace of diametric opposition. It is a belief in balance, a belief asserted with the conviction of religion.
But in this case, the proof of a god’s power lies not in the cause but in the effect.
Proof is achieved by action, and therefore all action, including the act of choosing inaction, is inherently moral.”

'Don't skimp on that sauce or whatever it is.'
'Right the second time.'
'Whatever it is? You don't know?'
'No, master. It just leaked out.'
'Tanneries?'
'Yes... that's it. Exactly.'
'I just had a thought.'
'Please, master, do not pursue that thought.'
'It keeps coming back.'
'The thought?'
'No, the supper. I need some air.'

You asked a moment ago how I honour the memory of our parents.
When I see you. How you stand. I have no need for memory.
He stands before me right now.
And, I'd hazard, I'm much as you say - like her.
You ask for help, but will not hear what I tell you. Need there be the reminder of fates of our parents? Need their be memory?
We stand here, you and I, and play out once more the old familial tortures.

Damn, T.

'Clean up the place. We might have guests tonight.'
'I will, if I find time.'
'Ah yes, you have trousers to make - have you enough wool for that?'
'Well, I can make one leg down all the way, or I can make both short.'
'How short?'
'Pretty short.'
'Go with one leg.'

And now starts the fun with Tehol and Bugg.