Publishing Information: Kindle
Publisher: Tor Books; 1 April 2010
ISBN 10: 0765348829
ISBN 13: 978-0765348821
ASIN: B000UZJRH2
Series: Book 5 in the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson
Synopsis: "After decades of warfare, the five tribes of the Tiste Edur have united under the rule of the Warlock King of Hiroth. But peace has been exacted at a terrible price - a pact made with a hidden power whose motives are at best suspect, at worst deadly."
Not long ago Andy reviewed Midnight Tide and he did an excellent job.
It has been a while since I delved into the wold of Wu. I stopped reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series to tackle a few other books and series as the fifth book does not continue on from the previous novels. It takes place on another continent and with two new races before jumping back into more familiar places and characters.
While the two races we meet in Midnight Tide are not new to readers of the series as they have been discussed and in some cases we have met some individuals from the respective clans, this is an in depth look at the continent and the people that inhabit it. We have the Letherii, the dominant race on the continent where it gets its name and the Tiste Edur, a once powerful race that has gone on to lose its former glory, but looking to regain it by any means necessary.
As with any Erikson novel, there are a multitude of characters some with major roles, others with smaller roles or cameos which could have implications later on down the road. I will only focus on a few. Perhaps my favorite in this book was Bug and Tehol. Aside from their plan to topple the Letherii economy, they provide plenty of laughs from their dialogue. Their discussions are fast and furious and always fun to read. Whenever one of them is in a scene it was light and entertaining. I know they are in future installments of the series and I look forward to meeting them again.
We also have the Sengar brothers: Fear, Trull, Binadas, and Rhulad. Trull, Rhulad, and Fear play much bigger roles in this novel and they are constantly evolving as the story progresses. I have nothing but empathy for Rhulad as his fate is one I would not wish upon anyone. Fear is your typical big brother, full of responsibility and holding on to it by his fingernails. Trull is a wild card as he is different from his brothers as he sees a bigger picture and must come to terms with his personal decisions. They made for a very interesting read.
Since I had taken a hiatus from the series, it took me a little while to get back all the places, people, and powers that the series has to offer. I thought that since it starts a new string of stories which finally tie back to the original story I would be fine. And to a certain extent I was, but I was lost a little while and had to jump on Malazan Wiki to find my place as there were a few things that I had forgotten and had to relearn. Once I found myself back into the world I remembered why I liked these books so much. The mystery that unravels in each of the books makes for a read that you must stay on your toes to keep up with the pace Erikson is taking you on. In these volume we learn a lot more about the magic system and the Chained God. As the Tiste Edur attempt to reclaim their once powerful empire by attacking the Letherii, we also have a old god reclaim is glory through manipulation. Midnight Tide really is the set up to the next act in the overall story arc.
While this is a favorite for a lot of Erikson's fans, I found it a decent read with some great characters, places, and of course a new bump in the road to the final confrontation, but it was not my favorite read. Fans will enjoy it but since this is as far as I have read into the series so far, I don't see its far reaching implications just yet. That said Midnight Tides a very satisfying read that will impact the rest of the series.
Plot 8
Characters 10
Style 8
Overall 8/10
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar