Kevin's Watch

Here's a place for no-holds barred discussion of the latest book in the series, Reaper's Gale. Weighing in at a massive 906 pages, this book tells the tale of the Empire of Lether following the Edur conquest.
My thoughts on just reading the book will be characteristically scattered.

First up: what a death toll!

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Menandore, Sheltatha Lore, Sukhul Ankhadu, The Grey Swords, Toc Anaster, Feather Witch, Hannan Mosag, Fear Sengar, Trull Sengar, Tomad Sengar, Uruth Sengar, Rhulad Sengar, Taralack Veed, Icarium(!)(?), Emroth, Triban Gnol, Nisall, Phaed, Beak. Many more.

There were some noticable themes running through Reaper's Gale, though I can't quite pull them together into a coherent whole, I have my ideas--sex, power, friendship, and love were prominent, leading me to think that the key thing in this book is relationships. Relationships of all kinds, in all forms: Rhulad and Nisall, Rhulad and his advisors. Atri-Preda Bivatt, Bohl Handar, Letur Anict, and Orbyn Truthfinder. Karos Invictad and Tanal Yathvanar, Tanal Yathvanar and Janath Anar, Janath Anar and Tehol Beddict, Tehol Beddict and Bugg, (Tehol Beddict and Karos Invictad,) Bugg and the Errant, the Errant and Feather Witch, Feather Witch and everyone who uses her without her even realising it.
Relationships of love, lust, power, and friendship.

Certainly a very fitting continuation of the series--personally, I'd say it most resembles Memories of Ice in content, though it steps things up a notch. And being a direct sequel to both Midnight Tides and The Bonehunters--with various connections also to Memories of Ice--it ties things together very nicely.

This book is exceptional, his writing is getting better(as you would expect) but his characterisation is fully 3D.

I was surprised by the death toll, but at the same time not, its difficult to explain since I'm not an author (or writer of any level).

Tehol and Bugg must be one of the best double acts of all time

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The marines thread was superbly done, the characterisation, humour, etc. Fiddler joining back with Hedge!!(let the fireworks begin)

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He introduced us to so many new characters in Lether, but many seemed to die by the end, phew! we have so many characters to follow as it is

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Icarum, what happened there????????????

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Where was the master of the deck? I was expecting him to arrive (at the end) to confront the Errant

p.s. A full command of human physiology and anatomy might help.

it came today!!! wooo hooo!! my copy of RG!!!! yay!!!

oh frabjous day callou callay she chortled in her joy!!


i know i know, i'm months behind everyone.

yeesh...i was born late, what can i say!

just at Chapter Two but i already agree with your assessment Murrin.

relationships. definitely.

HEY ALIANTHA!!!????? (she hollers waves to get Ali's attention )
you finish RG yet???
(she was reading it in June at the Elohimfest)

Yup yup, finished it, last week I think. It took me a looooong time to get through. I didn't get as much read on the plane to and from ABQ as I thought I would. And then too, every now and again, I had to put it down and just go, "whew!" But about 150 pages from the end, I started kind of snapping at people who had the temerity to interrupt me.

OMG, Luci, you will love this book!

Relationships are *definitely* the big theme here. But since it's Erikson, you can bet yer bottom dollar that *no*body gets to live happily ever after.

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Except maybe Tehol and Bugg. Gods, I loved the ending!

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And Fiddler's reaction when he sees Hedge for the first time -- oh man, how great was that?

The death toll was definitely starting to rival ASOIAF, there toward the end. But, yeah, fewer characters to keep track of -- that can only be a good thing in this series....

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I suspect we'll see the Master of the Deck again before long...

Luci -- hurry up and read it! Then we can talk!

OKAY!!! i will hurry up!! i'll read and read and read till i'm dimwitted!

(oh. already am dimwitted. )

You are not!

ok...HELP!!!

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where did Toc come from???? what is he doing in the Awl camp??? how the hell did he get there? frankly i've ALWAYS been confused about everything that happened to Toc.

i'm entirely and completely confused.

Murrin? Aliantha? HELP.

I'm wondering how much you've read of his appearance. Heh. I think he explains it in his second scene in the book. If you really want it to be explained....
Minor spoilers for later in the book, but not huge.

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Toc was transferred into Anaster's body at the end of MoI, right? And as Mortal Sword to Togg he became leader of the Grey Swords. The Grey Swords were found in the RG prologue, dead to a man and with their chests ripped open by wolves, their hearts eaten. In the chapter that Toc appears, or perhaps a little bit after, it's explained that they came because of a prophecy that they had a fight to join on Lether; they thought fighting for the Awl is what it meant, but they were wrong. The Awl hired them but abandoned them at the last minute, taking Toc--who'd stayed with the Awl leader--with them.

ok but...dude...

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what happened to his eye??? like...it's like he's back in his own body!!
christ on a christmas tree, is he gonna die AGAIN???? sheesh, how many times can one toc DIE???

ok ok. don't tell me anymore. yeah, i just got to that first scene with Redmask this morning and was TOTALLY surprised.

Anaster lost his eye in MoI. And yes, it's significant.

yeah yeah. that figures. my retention for this kind of detail sux.

*Your* memory for detail sucks?? When Toc appeared in RG, I just kinda went, "Oh! Hey! Toc!" and then kinda went, "...Who's Anaster again?"

ok and NOW i can't remember how

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Quick Ben and Trull and Onrack got to where ever the hell it is they are and what happened to Kalam??? how did he get stuck in Deadhouse?

sigh. i need to get my copy of bonehunters back. arg i can't hardly remember ANYthing from it!!!

Thank the gods *you* were paying attention, Murrin! Clearly I need to go back to my re-read of the whole bloody series....

*snort* yeah. me too!!!



and can i say, just for the record, i can't STAND Feather Witch. ooh i just want to SMACK her.

Well, the whole point of her character is that she's a pathetic, egocentric witch who has an incredibly high opinion of herself, a lot of stolen knowledge, no respect for others and absolutely no idea of the greater significance of anything. She's an idiot who tries to use people but only ever ends up being used.

(Loved the scenes in this book where pretty much everyone in the palace comes to visit her in her 'secret' hideaway, one after the other, because everyone knows she's there and no-one cares...)

Murrin wrote:(Loved the scenes in this book where pretty much everyone in the palace comes to visit her in her 'secret' hideaway, one after the other, because everyone knows she's there and no-one cares...)

yeah!!!!!


and lordy, aren't Bugg and Tehol in RARE form in this one?!!!! oh my god they're just LAUGH OUT LOUD funny!!!!
and Ublala Pung!!!!

well i've finished!

and i must say this was just as satisfying as ever.

i'm glad the high death toll. tho i will miss a couple of the Fallen.

and OMG!! BEAK!!! that was awesome!!!! just awesome!!!8O


and i would just give anything, anything in the world to see an artist's rendition of Fiddler, Gesler, and Stormy now!!!

ONRACK!!!! yeesh i get goosebumps!


and omg... Quick Ben punching Hedge in the nose!!!

and Samar Dev saying "we shoulda had sex"!!!!

man, so many great moments.

dang, i couldn't beLIEVE how the Bonehunters dogged on old Silchas Ruin too!!! woooo hoooo!!!!!! that was killer! cause i kept thinking omygod how're they gonna get out of a bloody friggin fight with HIM!!!!


loved it loved it. can't wait for Toll the Hounds!!!