This thread concerns the series’ entitled “The Malazan Book of the Fallen” by Steven Erikson and “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R.R. Martin.
Several months ago I began reading A Song of Ice and Fire. I had read nothing but good reviews about the series and, as an avid fantasy reader, eagerly dove in. Halfway through the first book, I was already experiencing a figurative bitter taste in my mouth. I finished the first book without much fanfare, but decided to read the second and third because I was at a loss for what else to read. Plus, I had just read too many good things about the series to give up after the first book.
My perception only worsened with the close of the second and third books.
I’ll grant that the writing itself, from a technical perspective, is much better than a lot of other material out there, but I just could not get into the storyline. The only character I found myself attached to at all was Jon; everyone else was too predictable and 2D. My biggest beef with the series, however, is the false advertising. For a fantasy book, it is almost entirely bereft of beloved fantasy elements! This drove (and drives) me batty. Sure, there are the three dragon hatchlings, and the Others, but they make such short, brief appearances as to be nonexistent. What kind of fantasy series is absolutely bereft of magic?! If I wanted to read realistic fiction in a medieval-type setting, I would browse the appropriate bookshelves. When I pick up a fantasy book, I expect certain fantasy elements, dammit!
I could not bring myself to read the fourth book, and threw in the towel on this series.
I picked up Gardens of the Moon (the first in “The Malazan Book of the Fallen”) almost three weeks ago after reading sterling review after glowing review for the entire series. At that time, I was searching for a new good fantasy series to keep myself occupied. I had finished reading most of the Forgotten Realms novels that are still in print and I had just reread the Dragonlance Chronicles for old time’s sake. I’m about halfway through the book, and am feeling woefully disappointed again. The time frame alone says something; usually I’d fly through a book of this size in a week at most.
My first grievance is that the book offers almost nothing in the way of background. I’m not asking for a mind-numbing info-dump, but the way the book drops the reader in the midst of a huge conflict within a huge empire within a huge world makes it extremely difficult to get absorbed into it. Also, the willy-nilly introduction of characters and plot points without proper introduction only compounds this problem.
So far I’m still pretty clueless as to who some of these races/societies are, like the Tiste Andii, Moonspawn and some others. I have no idea as to the motivations of even the major characters, except for Sargent Whiskeyjack - his motivation seems clearly to be only “Stay Alive.” Unlike “A Song of Ice and Fire,” there is actually magic in this series. That said, I only have the vaguest inkling of how the magic system works. Apparently there are a variety of things called “warrens,” which are metaphysical power sources that magic-users can tap into. I’m not entirely sure if this is correct, and, presuming it is, I have no idea how many there are or what sorts of power each one confers.
I haven’t quit reading a book without finishing it in a long, long time, but I’m afraid I might do that with this one. I don’t have one iota of connection to the characters, their problems, or the entire setting for that matter. The next book I have lined up is The Jackal of Nar, by John Marco. When I get to this one, I hope to find it more rewarding.
