Kevin's Watch

The timeline confused me a bit here...but I only noticed when Apsalar finishes her mission for Cotillion and enters the bar to buy the rice wine...('Cause that happened in MT, right?)

Overall, enjoyed it thoroughly.

--A

Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about there. Noticed what?

That part of it appears to run concurrently with MT.

--A

Hmm. I was of the impression that the end of the Bonehunters is about a year and a half after the end of MT. Would help if I could remember what part you're referring to, though.

Right at the end, Apsalar kills the last guy on her list, and walks into a bar, buys a bottle of wine, gets drunk and heads (alone) up to her room.

I'm sure we saw that exact scene, from a different perspective in an earlier book...I think it was MT.

--A

i think you're right av but i'll have to look.

Hey, I noticed a hint in BoneHunters about Crimson Guard...

One of the chapters is headed by a poem by Fisher and it's dated as

Spoiler

the last year of Empress Laseen's rule.

--A

Wow! Nice job spotting that!

heh. i noticed it too this time thru.

i'm now trying to force myself thru reaper's gale again but
i just hate some of those letherii assholes so much that i do
not want to read it again. oh and urg...feather witch and her
rotting feet. blech.

Oh, ugh, yeah on RG.

I said awhile back that I think my strategy before the next book comes out will be to just reread DoD. It's a cool series...but there's a lot of gross stuff I don't particularly have an interest in reading again. The Chain of Dogs didn't bother me. Stuff like Janath's torture at the hands of the Letherii scumbag -- *that* bothered me.

The thing about that is it shows Mael to be a pretty damned cool guy.

Although the new Emperor is one of his main dudes, and is responsible for some pretty f@#$%^g horrific things, too.

Well... Although that's true, it was pointed out by one character or another that one of his priests is on the throne of the biggest empire in the world. That's why I was aware of it.


Edit: ???? I swear there was a post between these two of mine!!

yeah see i'm having a hard time reconciling mallick rel with mael.
just don't make no sense to me.

unless...

Spoiler

what we're witnessing is the FALL of the malazan empire

in which case it would make perfect sense.

Uh-uh, Somewhere, maybe RG, (although it's also hinted at in MT) we read about how Mael didn't have any control over what his worshipper(s) was drawing his power for. In fact, (in RG maybe), Mael actually breaks free from Rel's hold on him IIRC.

(By then it's too late of course.)

Even in TBH, where Spite (or Envy) talks to Mappo, it's about how gods can get pulled along in their followers wake, the followers betraying the gods. (Which is why D'rek slaughtered her priests if I understand it.)

--A

Yup. All true. But still, a high priest of Mael's is the Malazan Emperor. I think Mael is gonna benefit from that.

Or maybe he'll find a way to reach through and kill Rel.

yes Av, you're right of course and i guess mael's been fartin around in Letheras and maybe not payin too much attention to rel (what with all
the construction and whatnot ) but the mael, errant, and whatsherbutt stuff in DoD sorta confused me too. i haven't gotten
back to DoD since the first reading. hopefully this full read-through
will clear that up some for me.

Yeah, that's what was in the post I deleted. I thought at the time it wasn't really relevant to the discussion at hand, but apparently Onos replied while I was deleting.

The Jhistal priests were pretty much the only big group of Mael worshippers around when they reappeared - he's an Elder God and largely forgotten. They used thier influence to control Mael, much like Feather Witch did to the Errant. They forced him to act as they willed. In RotCG, we find that Mael's got a grassroots cult building up among the common folk in the Malazan Empire, and the growing power he gained from them allowed him to break free of the Jhistals' influence. His last service to Mallick, transporting him to near the battlefield in time to claim the throne, was also used to deliver a warning to the priest. I don't think he'll be travelling by boat much as Emperor.

I think in DoD, when the comment was made about Mael's game and how he now had a priest at the head of the largest Empire in the world, it was either made with ignorance of their relationship, or perhaps just thinking it is enough that it is his priest, whether they're on good terms or not.

Could be. But I had the feeling Erikson was pointing it out to us.

Midway through on 1st re-read and just got completely blown away by the Ganoes/Poliel/Soliel/Apsalar/Quickben/Hounds/Bottle/... bit. If there's a better chapter anywhere else in fantasy literature, please let me know!

Also, still laughing at...
Mogora: What would you do if I said I was pregnant?
Pust: I'd kill the mule

(or whatever)

i loved that line too stone!

they reminded me of



"have fun storming the castle!!"