Kevin's Watch

LOL, nice pic.

--A

It doesn't make me look fat?

Does anyone remember when I first joined this forum and I had a signature with a big guy with a sword in it? (Guts from Berserk). I saw a common thread between that comic's opening act and Paran's traveling on the plain towards Darujhistan.
Spoilers for Memories of Ice (book 3):

Spoiler

Paran, at the time in question, is on the path of revenge. So is Guts in the "Black Swordsman" arc. Paran has Toc with him, and it actually occurs to him that he is bringing Toc into danger, but he dismisses the importance since Toc is a soldier in any case. Shortly thereafter, Hairlock attacks, and Toc gets warped in the Portal to Morn. Guts, during the Black Swordsman Arc, is on the path for revenge as well. He comes across and old man and his daughter/granddaughter in a wagon. They offer to let him ride with them. He knows the danger involved - he has a brand on his neck that summons evil spirits/monsters at night. But he rides with them anyway. And they both end up dead in the ensuing battle between Guts and the monsters. Want to know the rest? If you haven't read it, read Berserk!

Onos T'oolan wrote: ↑ It doesn't make me look fat?

By no means! You're just big-boned, like Harry Potter's Hagrid.

Right, finished Reapers Gale, which I enjoyed more than I remembered doing previously, and now onto RotCG.

Which definitely has to be read after RG, because in RG:

Spoiler

Hood tells Toc The Younger that his father is still alive, and I'm pretty sure he dies in RoTCG. (Will confirm. )

--A

Avatar wrote: ↑ Right, finished Reapers Gale, which I enjoyed more than I remembered doing previously, and now onto RotCG.

Which definitely has to be read after RG, because in RG:

Spoiler

Hood tells Toc The Younger that his father is still alive, and I'm pretty sure he dies in RoTCG. (Will confirm. )

--A

Well I'm not sure I agree

Spoiler

It's more surprising to find out reading RotCG and have Toc the Elder stride on screen, than for Hood to tell Toc that when they're hundreds or thousands of miles away. However, it is possible that there's something about the way the information is conveyed or the timing or what exactly Hood says that makes it better to find out in RG. I don't remember the scene so I can't weigh in, but w/out catching up or hearing it from you I'd assume it'd be better to find out in RotCG

Well, my point is that Hood is only telling the truth as long as you read RG first. If you read RotCG before RG,

Spoiler

then what he tells TOC looks like a lie.

--A

So, I'm about half-way through TtH, (more tragedy), but I have a question about RotCG...in the big battle, the squad "mage" Heuk unveils Kurald Galain, the Tistii warren of Elder Dark.

He specifically says something to Jumpy about his god being back or awakened or something. And when Jumpy checks on him later, he sees a tall dark figure with a strange void where his sword was (or should be?) that he couldn't look at.

The only god I recall being associated with Elder Dark is...Draconus right? But if Draconus is there, that means the battle is happening after

Spoiler

Dragnipur is shattered

?

Was it Draconus? Somebody else?

--A

I'm trying to search keywords, but can't find what you're talking about. However, there's also

Spoiler

Mother Dark

She's a Goddess.

Seems however I am not the only one to ask: https://forum.malazanempire.com/topic/1 ... bout-heuk/



--A

Well there ya go!

LOL

On to Stonewielder now.

I think that Toll The Hounds may actually be the most important book in the series.

--A

I'm not sure if we ever really found anything out about Ruthan (Gudd?) in DoD / TCG (wherever he turns up first), but I just noticed Greymane mention him as somebody he "left behind" when he left Korel. (And we did know he had something to do with the StormRiders, ice armour and all, but did we ever get more background on him?)

--A

Sadly, it's been too long for me to remember.

If you look on Reddit, Malazan Empire, etc. there are theories regarding him being another character incognito, including characters from the Kharkhanas trilogy (!!!). I would need to read again at some point to try and find out possibilities. There's another character I'd expect would have recognized him if that were true, but while Ruthan and that character are in the same general vicinity at one point, I don't think they met.

I suspect it's deliberately vague and no actual proof is provided by the authors.

Enjoying Stonewielder, but I do think Esselmont does not write Pust (or later Kruppe) as well as Erikson does. Usually the difference in their writing does not bother me, (hell, usually I rarely notice it), but with those two characters I do. (Which is weird, because he did Leoman pretty well.)

--A

Avatar wrote: ↑ Esselmont does not write Pust...

First, I realised for the first time that Warran is not actually Pust...Pusk...I can never remeber damn it...he's Shadowthrone, as evidenced by his conversation with Cotillion when he leaves Kiska and Leoman on the shores of Chaos or whatever. I can only say the damn fish throws me...but how have I always forgotten that conversation? Hmmmmph.

Anyway, started Dust of Dreams this morning and I swear it has become my least favourite book. It's also the most florid and needlessly complicated...Erikson is deliberately being hell of an obscure just so he can slap you with some "twist" later I think. OK, it does have Tehol...but almost everything else...it's just all heart-rendingly cruel and tragic, or mind-numbingly tedious...

Anyway, onward I go...which is the Esselmont book about the Seguleh? I'm looking forward to that one.

--A

Avatar wrote: ↑ Anyway, onward I go...which is the Esselmont book about the Seguleh? I'm looking forward to that one.

--A

Orb Scepter Throne! Personally I like the Malazans in that one.

Haha, cool, that's up next.

Actually, apart from the florid and over-wrought bits, (mostly the "ribby snake" of children, and the Icarium parts), the rest of DoD is pretty good.

Brutal though.

--A

Avatar wrote: ↑ Haha, cool, that's up next.

Actually, apart from the florid and over-wrought bits, (mostly the "ribby snake" of children, and the Icarium parts), the rest of DoD is pretty good.

Brutal though.

--A

I liked Badalle's poetry w/ the snake, though not particularly caring about the poetry being magical, and the Icarium parts! I really didn't need what happened to Hetan though.

Let's just all agree not to talk about that.