REVIEW: Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson

Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson

Publishing Information: Mass-Market Paperback U.S. Edition; 960 pgs
Publisher: Tor Fantasy; 2004 (First Printing) April 2007 (First U.S. Printing)
ISBN 10: 07653-4882-1
ISBN 13: 978-07653-4882-1
Series: Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 5

Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Andy

Synopsis (from publisher): “After decades of internecine warfare, the tribes of the Tiste Edur have at last united under the Warlock King of Hiroth. There is peace, but it has been exacted at a terrible price: a pact made with a hidden power whose motives are at best suspect, at worst deadly.

To the south, the expansionist kingdom of Lether, eager to fulfill its long prophesized renaissance as an empire reborn, has enslaved with rapacious hunger all its less-civilized neighbors. All, that is, save one – the Tiste Edur. And it must only be a matter of time before they, too, fall --either beneath the suffocating weight of gold or by slaughter at the edge of a sword. Or so destiny has decreed. Yet, as the two sides gather for a pivotal treaty neither truly wants, ancient forces are awakening. For the impending struggle between these two peoples is but a pale reflection of a far more profound, primal battle – a confrontation charged with the still raw wound of an old betrayal and the craving for revenge at its seething heart.”

Just when we began to believe that the Malazan Universe could not get any larger, Steven Erikson expanded it once again. When Erikson thinks epic fantasy, Erikson thinks big. The Malazan world, already spanning three continents through the first four books, has revealed yet another – this being a continent far to the east – a continent that has been isolated from the rest of the world for seemingly thousands of years. We’ve gotten clues about this other civilization from the few characters that have been aware of these distant peoples on this remote landmass.

Midnight Tides, the fifth book in the series written by Erikson (the world’s co-creator Ian C. Esslemont also contributes) is a tale about two vastly different cultures. The Letherii, from whom the continent gets its name are humans and not so different from our own Western Culture. They are a materialist society with the weakness of greed and the institution of debt deeply ingrained into their way of life. For the Letherii, its business and profit that keep the world turning. Erikson continually amazes as his character Tehol even pontificates to his manservant Bugg about the virtues of free-market societies versus more collectivist societies at one point in the book. This is one way that Erikson keeps his series fresh – he finds new themes and influences from unexpected places. In this case, its economics.

The Letherii are also an imperialist culture built on conquest, and to the north lay the one culture on the continent they have yet to conquer – the Tiste Edur, a mysterious race we’ve caught glimpses of in earlier books. The Tiste Edur are everything the Letherii are not – they are subtle in conversation, elegant in battle, and often governed by their own pride rather than their greed. Still, there is a dark taint that is infecting the Tiste Edur from the outside, as they are becoming pawns of an ancient and deadly presence.

Neither of these two factions are admirable. While the Letherii seek to subordinate their neighbors, the Tiste Edur are often motivated by bloodlust and false conceptions of glory. In Erikson’s books it often seems that all factions are corrupt, and its only to individuals we can relate – as there are no causes worth fighting for. However, this book introduces some of the most endearing individual characters yet. Tehol and his manservant Bugg are two loveable entrepreneurs whose banter and bickering is like that of a long married couple. Here Erikson showcases his ability to inject humor into what is often a stark and gloomy series. The Tiste Edur Trull is perhaps my favorite character in the series yet as he becomes a dissident amidst the corruption of his people. As far as characters go, these are some of the best in the series I’ve encountered to this point.

Erikson’s plots have often been hard to criticize because of the serialized nature of his novels. Its not clear which elements are simply extraneous and which will be resolved in later volumes. His books are so dense and filled with so many characters and plot turns, I wonder about the necessity of it all. But still, as a reader of Erikson you suspend your concern until later books, in the hope that each piece of the puzzle will play its part and at the end the entire vision will be clear. Nevertheless, this being the closest thing to a standalone in the series, and knowing that we will never see some of these characters again, Erikson may be showing some weaknesses here. There are certain characters and scenes in this book that are simply unnecessary and the book would not have been much different without them.

The writing style may not be for everyone. Erikson is often reluctant to clarify information that other authors would offer generously. Erikson makes you work as a reader for everything, which fans of the series see as a virtue rather than a vice. Those unwilling to suspend their confusion however will find Erikson’s work convoluted and obfuscated, while Erickson supporters will consider it all part of an intricately woven tapestry.

For fans of the series though, this is a worthy addition. Erickson’s ability to create two new cultures from scratch is staggering. The book offers some of the best explanations of the magic system yet, and The Crippled God, the principle antagonist of the series, is more menacing than ever. In the end, it’s all more than enough to keep me reading Malazan.

Plot……….7

Characters……9

Style………8

Overall…….8/10