Kevin's Watch

Read the prologue of RG, and it was awwwesome. I now finally have a belief on what the Jade Giants are:

Spoiler

I think they're dragon blood (seems like it has to be from a dead dragon), and it's settling in whatever based on its aspect. The people inside are the "wraiths" that were attracted to the blood and got ensnared as a result.

Orlion wrote:Read the prologue of RG, and it was awwwesome.

Yeah, those ancient prologues are some of the best stuff in all the books!

Not sure about your guess. It could be, I guess. Hell, anything could be in this series.

I have reached the point where Seran has a conversation with Mockra. Interesting stuff, regarding the Warrens, and I admit I'm a little confused... mostly on the idea that the Warrens, Holds, etc. exist as "dialogues" with K'rul.

Seriously, Av? RG is one of your two least favorites? I've been going through it looking for what Orlion just asked about. Sounds like something I would've dog-eared. I certainly didn't dog-ear as much as I did in the first four books, but I was just in heaven rereading what I did. It's not easy to remember which event was from which book after all these books and months, and I was surprised to find so much great stuff here.

But I don't see that part, Orlion. About what percentage through the book is it? Unless you have the oversize papeback with 829 pages, in which case just tell me what page. I loved Quick and Cotillion talking about Warrens. Among other things. Why did Shadowthrone save Kalam by opening the Deadhouse before Kalam died?
Be glad, Ben Adaephon Delat, that I do not tell you his real reason.

My hardback has more pages In my book, it starts on p. 466. This is in Chapter 14 a few pages after Onrack kills the emlava (that big cat).

Onos T'oolan wrote:Seriously, Av? RG is one of your two least favorites?

Yep. It's the whole Tiste Edur storyline, Featherwitch and the Errant. It was ok the first time round, but now it just grates on me. I read those two for Tehol/Bugg.

Both Bonehunters and TtH made abigger impression on me.

--A

Turns out I did have that part dog-eared, Orlion. I just missed it when I was searching for it. Heh. And I can't really be too much help. Just that the Warrens are strange things. K'rul's arteries and blood, it seems they need something more than simply that. Not sure what, exactly. I hope I understand it a little better next time I get to RG.

Won't be today, though! B&N opens in an hour and a half, and I'm gonna be there when the doors open! Sit and read TCG for at least a few hours before I do anything else!

My copy's supposed to be arriving from Amazon today. We'll see.

Well, Kettle is now growing into an Azath... a Forkrul Assail Azath With several paths to Starvald Darmetlthndvnjfa for Shadowthrone and Cotillion to use. And we got a bunch of dead dragons... which isn't good, right? I mean, dragons (the real ones) are suppose to anchor Warrens and stuff, right? Maybe they're the dialogue, I don't know... either way, seeing a bunch of dead dragons is kinda indicative of doom and gloom, wouldn't it be?

But reading about them got me to wonder: how many true dragons do we know are out there? There are three in the Shadow Realm, and then there is that Otaral Dragon in the Imperial Warren... The one that if it were released would mean certain death to all of creation... I mean, how did they trap the sucker to begin with (assuming it wasn't just created by...say... K'Chen Che'Malle to take out all of realities because they weren't going to be around). And I think somewhere I read that K'Chen Che'Malle were dragon-spawn? That's crazy!

Enough of this ranting, I must finish this book

I use to worry that any Malazan books after the Fallen series was finished would kinda suck I mean, the main storyline is sooo epic, I couldn't imagine anything coming close in its awesomeness.

And then I started reading The Return of the Crimson Guard

Seriously, I don't know why many people moan about Esselmont... hell, I don't know why Donaldson won't read him!

When did SRD say he won't read Esslemont?

I just don't think he's as good a writer as Erikson. Altho he's coming along. RotCG was pretty good -- in fact, the writing style was such an improvement over NoK that I wondered whether Erikson hadn't written part of RotCG himself. And Stonewielder was better yet.

It's not that SRD doesn't like Esslemont. The problem is Linden doesn't, and she told SRD he wasn't allowed to read him.


I think RotCG is as good as at least a few of Erikson's. Stormwielder isn't as good, but is still very enjoyable. NoK is good, but not long enough to really compare.

Onos T'oolan is a THOOLAHn? Who'd a thunk it?

Yeah, it's more of a "I'm a slow reader and don't have much time to live so I must be a discriminating reader" excuse for why Donaldson won't read Esselmont... though he seems to read the Bauchlin and Korbal Broach novelettes just fine

To me, the writing styles are very distinct. Erikson likes to write a lot of inner philosophical monologues. Esselmont doesn't seem to delve so deeply into his character's thoughts. To tell you the truth, I think Esselmont might actually be more accessible to a wider audience. Sure, his books don't have Apsalar, but Erikson's don't really have Kiska

Some RotCG thoughts:
Dude, what's up with Assail? They decimated a company of Crimson Guard AND a bunch of T'lan I'mas? I mean... what the hell is going on down there? Is there a gathering of Forkrul Assail down there? If I recall, from MoI, the leader is a "human Tyrant"... and Iron Bars and Co. escaped from there... maybe that's how they ended up at Letherii?

Damn final exams...

You've got way too many books to read to waste time on final exams!!!

Well, I got a 98 % on my paper about flamless atomizers in HS-AFS (or was it HP-AFS?) so, I finished RotCG. Kinda agree with Murrin that it wasn't 'necesary' per se, but it was a great ride!

What was Osserc doing trapped in that tower, anyway? I thought he was just moving about? (He was in HoC, after all)... hold on, those were just 'dreams', right? OK!

It was neat learning more about the Segulah. I find that the Esslemont books I've read seem to fill in blanks from the Erikson books, making it a fuller experience.

I'll have to re-read all these when all is said and done.

Well, what's "necessary" reading? The main event is bigger than most that we read about in the Erikson books. We could have simply been told that the Malazans fought Annomander for a city named Pale, then failed to take Darujhistan. A Jaghut Tyrant was released, etc. Or a guy named Coltaine lead a group of refugees on a ridiculously long and brutal journey to safety, fighting all the way.

In RotCG, we see the (final?) fates of Toc the Elder, Topper, Tayschrenn, and Laseen. Pretty serious stuff. To say nothing of learning a lot about the Crimson Guard, who have played a somewhat important role before. Osserc gives a cool sword to Kyle. Seven Cities, Seguleh, etc etc. I wouldn't want to miss any of it.

That brings me to something I've been thinking about... it seems like you could start anywhere in the series, it doesn't matter you'll still be confused as all get up.

Also, Toc the Elder isn't dead... Hood said so at the end of RG.(well, it's implied any way...the Younger would "await" the Elder, doesn't straight up say it) I think Dasseam was speaking of Ullen in the epilogue.

By the way, is ICE trying to be funny with the "secret identity characters"? I mean, they're not fooling any one

I just have to put this out there: it seems that Kruppe may be the narrator's voice in TtH... did anyone else get that feeling?

Also, I found it shocking that Kallor doesn't know why Korlat and co. are tracking him down....

Spoiler

that he killed Whiskeyjack

doesn't even cross his mind as a reason. That's messed up... and awesome!