I must say that I was really unsure coming into this one. The first in the series was very good, but the second, although written well, just seemed too forced of a storyline. I was gladly surprised to find that the third installment is by far the best so far in the series.

The writing is very well done and the plot moves along smoothly. Erikson's usage of mages makes the storyline great, but his inclusion of gods and goddesses is even better, lending a sense of awe to the character interaction. This is perhaps the glue that has held the story together, allowing for small deficiencies in the believable department. For example, in a battle a small group of soldiers kill so many people within a building that the rooms are full to the brim. What did the soldiers do, clime on top of all the dead soldiers and keep fighting until the room was completely full from top to bottom, even going so far as to crawl and sword fight each other? Although it helped advance the story it is nonetheless very unbelievable.

None of that matters as the story unfolds and moves at a fast pace. Alas, even at a fast pace the book is very long. It's best if you try and read this one at a time where you will have the time to read the whole thing, otherwise the number of characters and length of book could get confusing. I would definitely recommend this book, and because of this third installment I would recommend the Malazan series as a whole. A fascinating book.

5 stars.

i found steven erikson while looking for reviews of david keck's 'in the eye of heaven'. erikson liked it (and so did i), however, i then took a chance on the second malazan book (reviews said it was less complicated than the first). i now slightly regret reading out of order, but only because of the abiding love i have found towards erikson's malazan series. each book has been great. the first is wonderful, but they continue to imrove. i grew up as a tolkien brat and despise the mercedes lackey's and anne mccaffrey's, but erikson is a tops writer who challenges tolkien in scope and mythic history. his prose is engaging, his grasp of characters is vast - the # of characters is weblike (but none of the branching stories makes you wish for a separate one!). the manner in which he weaves the smallest details from pg 37 into pg 488 is a testament to his devotion to his books and his readers. certainly, don't expect cliches or black and white plots/characters; these are evil characters you hate and pity and these are good or tragic characters you love and empathize for. each book is long -- you will be thankful. i am thankful the series is 10 long. i'm just glad i discovered steven erikson.

I have read alot of fantasy...and this series definitely ranks up there with the best of 'em. To be honest, the complexity of the books can be overwhelming at times but after reading it one begins to appreciate the breadth of the story and strength of the characterizations and plot. This series can be best described with perhaps one word...EPIC.

This is the third book in the Malazan series and it was great! I throughly enjoyed it from cover to cover. There is so much that goes on and intertwines together. Lots of fighting and action. The ending left me sad and wanting more. I have the fourth book and can't wait to get started. If you like the first two you will absolutely love the third! If you found the first two jumbled and confused then don't bother. But, you are definitely missing out on a fantasy series that redefines the boundaries of the genre itself.

Best Fantasy Series out there. Hands down. This one's my favorite so far, but I haven't read House of Chains, yet. :) If you like fantasy, and you haven't read Steven Erickson... umm. You're missing out on the good stuff. Wasn't sure what to make of the first pair of books. Things never seem to go the way you want or expect the action to take. But this book pulls together elements of the first two and was really hard to put down. Steven Erickson is so good, I'm rationing myself to only reading one every couple of month. These are books to be savored.