Kevin's Watch

Khazduk wrote:

Spoiler

But in the case of Trull, there's been so much dying both before and after in the story that we don't need to be reminded once again that we live or die on a whim and that we'll all be gone soon whether we like it or not. His death was just a tad too harsh. Imo.

Mwahaha

I think the difference is that we feel different when nobodies or people we barely know die... it just doesn't matter that much to us. When it's a character we're rooting for and deserves so much better... it becomes something else.

Spoiler

Also, Trull seems to be one of the few major characters that die and never come back.

By the way, I now know that RotCG has to be read after RG.

Because in RG,

Spoiler

Hood tells Toc that his father is still alive.

Oh, and as for the Crippled God,

Spoiler

The plague? Felisin Younger? Itkovian? Also not forgiveable stuff, no matter why he did it.

--A

Avatar wrote:By the way, I now know that RotCG has to be read after RG.

Because in RG,

Spoiler

Hood tells Toc that his father is still alive.

--A

I don't Av, could mean that

Spoiler

Toc's father is still alive even after RotCG.

At the same time, what Hood says, if I recall, is still pretty damn ambiguous.

Uh uh...

(RotCG spoiler)

Spoiler

Toc Elder is clearly dead at the end of RotCG. Even after the Seti leave him impaled on lances, Moss comes back and makes sure the job is done.

And Hood is pretty clear...

Spoiler

He says "You will await your father yet," and Toc says "He's still alive?" And Hood replies "Would I lie?"

Now sure, maybe he would. But any evidence of him doing so? He strikes me as a pretty decent type for a god of death.

--A

Finished yesterday. In-credi-ble. Long build up (we didn't have a 2nd act climax to compare with Capustan or Y'Ghatan) but the pay off was mind blowing. I loved the military campaign thread- the marines getting cut off and turning into feral guerrilla killers, the final battle of Lether. Finally the Bonehunters got to kick some ass, and boy were they good at it.

The smaller confrontations were no less enjoyable. Loved Clip getting his ass handed to him by Trull and his "lowly" spear. That'll teach the prick. And Quick Ben! Holy hell! Absolutely dominating three ascendant dragons at once! He has indeed gotten "nastier."

Some of the deaths left me very sad, though. Trull! Toc! Beak! I was scared we were going to lose Tehol for a while there, as well, but at least that story had a happy ending .

On to RoTG.

Yeah, Beak was pretty tragic, although a hell of a way to go. Tehol remains the best part for me.

I'll agree that the ending is great, but I just hated the whole Clip/Nimander/Andii storyline.

--A

I didn't hate the storyline. I detested Clip though. I'm actually interested to see where the whole mess with them and Anomander Rake goes.

And yes, MT and RG would be worth reading for Tehol and Bugg alone.

Apologies for the double post, but been digesting and have some more questions and comments:

The brief cameo from Telorast and Curdle. What's all this Not-Not-Apsalar business? Something I missed, or something that'll become clear later?

What the hell happened to Redmask? I thought he was going to dominate the Letherii with Toc's Malazan tactics, but he decimated his troops in that stupid second battle for no apparent reason. I expected more. And he's goign on about victory just before the K'Chain Che Malle chop him up? Was he delusional?

And just want to record my appreciation for Rhulad as a character. Such a tragic and sympathetic villain. It broke my heart the times he tried his best in his situation, like hearing the petitions and beginning to turn the tables on his manipulators.

Cambo wrote:The brief cameo from Telorast and Curdle. What's all this Not-Not-Apsalar business? Something I missed, or something that'll become clear later?

So...Sorry named herself Apsalar, right? But the two of them knew Apsalar, so she is Not-Apsalar to them. Now this other person, (who was it anyway? Banaschar?) is not Sorry...therefore he is Not-Not-Apsalar.

What the hell happened to Redmask? I thought he was going to dominate the Letherii with Toc's Malazan tactics, but he decimated his troops in that stupid second battle for no apparent reason. I expected more. And he's goign on about victory just before the K'Chain Che Malle chop him up? Was he delusional?

Uh, probably.

Spoiler

And he was Letherii himself, remember.

Yeah...disappointing end to that story...

--A

Spoiler

Yeah, that just confused me further. I thought for a second he may have been some kind of double agent, but the war was disastrous for the Letherii as well...

Edit: as for Telorast and Curdle, I'm not sure who they were talking about. It may have been Banaschar, maybe I'll have to go back and look. Just wondered if they'd attached themselves to someone else in Not-Apsalar's absence.

They definitely attached themselves to him at some point.

--A

My apologies. I don't remember enough detail to be of much help with these things.

Although yeah, Redmask was a fruitcake.

And don't worry about double-, or even triple-!, posting around here! Onos rocks!

Onos T'oolan wrote:My apologies. I don't remember enough detail to be of much help with these things.

And it's damn hard to look them up when most of the books are a thousand pages long.

--A

So, I'm on Reapers Gale again. In my head, this usually ties with MT as my least favourite Malazan book.

But I'm remembering now also how unutterably depressing it is. The patriotists and the Edur and all that. *sigh*

--A