DEADHOUSE GATES BOOK REVIEW | MALAZAN

A non-spoiler book review for Deadhouse Gates, the second book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.

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[anaclaracobra]

Actually, yes, that DID make me more interested in picking this series up! I thought that passage about all the history of the place the character was standing on was really well written, and although maybe it doesn't have a clear purpose in the narrative (or we haven't seen it yet maybe?), it was very interesting. It actually kinda reminded me of how Stephen King writes his longer novels, just a little comparison my head made. The 16 years old's thoughts were a little more weird but I guess I could get behind it if I liked the story. I always thought this was difficult to read because it was confusing and complicated... Good to know it's not exactly like that!

[PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

A very fair assessment! The first passage you read shows how Erikson’s background as an archeologist informs his approach to world building, where the reader gets glimpses of a much deeper past, of civilizations that have come and gone. For me, this is one of the main things that drew me to fantasy in the first place. The second passage you read is a good indication of how philosophical and theme driven Malazan is. It’s also related to that awareness of the past. I personally love this stuff, and there’s plenty of action and vivid characters too, but you’re right that it’s not going to be for everyone. Thanks for the video!

[Mclearmountain]

Read Gardens. It was average but pretty alright. Read Deadhouse. Nearly perfect. Loved it a lot. Now reading Memories. I can’t stop. I’ve already read all of Wheel Of Time and am fully caught up on Stormlight Archives. I already want to say that Malazan is going to top both of them for me.

[shaunyboy]

I'm not sure this gives a good hint of what Deadhouse Gates was about tbh and I'm not sure that'd help readers decide if it's for them or not.

A few things. First the WEIGHT of that Fiddler passage, the depth of it, the seemingly never-ending crushing nature of it - is exactly the point. He is standing upon ALL of this history and more. And it weighs upon him and that seems to be one of the themes of the Seven Cities. The rebellion that's happening isn't just a random affair. There's so many levels of history to everything that's going on. The actions and plot date back hundreds if not thousands of years, so does the culture of all these different people. And I'm fairly confident that's even said by one of the main characters at one point, particularly in regards to the Malazan occupation/conquest which has only been the smallest of times in regards to Seven Cities history. Even though the Malazans conquered it - it was a transparent conquest in some cases and this ain't a hospitable land.

And to give the impression that that is how the WHOLE books reads is pretty unfair because that's not the case at all. Erikson is quite formal but when it's done to such a degree as you describe then there's usually a damned good reason for it.

Secondly Felisin is nobleborn. Well-educated, rich and most probably very literate by 16. Also for months upon months she's been accompanied by the former Imperial Historian of the Empire. His even better educated way of viewing the world is sure to rub off (particularly because Felisin is struggling with her identity at this point).

Thirdly the character motivations that you say are never revealed ARE explicitly revealed at the end - there's a good four or five page dialogue about it between him and his target in which I'm sure there's even a big list of grievances that are laid out very plainly for the reader. And his reasons for going off as he did in the first place are talked about at various points between the characters he left behind.

I get it, these books ain't for everyone, they are dense and they demand a bit of work on the reader's part to piece together bits and pieces but there's so much more to even Deadhouse Gates than you let on.

The battles, the characters, the world, the scenes, the betrayals and heroic deaths. The Chain of Dogs itself ffs. I mean there's just so much more to this book than 'at times it can be a bit wordy'.

[ariansun]

Completely fair criticism. I feel that if you perceive the detail and meandering and philosophizing as not enjoyable, it is better to stop for now. To anyone who still reads fantasy in 5, 10 or 20 years, the books and their unique tone and perspective will always be there. The story is definitely not for everyone, but the ones that do like it, like it a LOT.

[andrewtody]

The history of the city did a few things. It set the stage for Fid, but also helped you understand the layout of the broken mostly underground city so that it would be easier to follow when (later) 2 other sets of characters would be picking their way through the area. But yeah...there is a great deal of detail. The depth of that detail shifts into an emphasis on character development once the world is completely built. And later in the series, your commitment to the characters will be much deeper.

[riakm]

Well I’m glad to finally hear your thoughts on the book! In regards to the first passage, I found it to be a fun/ny way to set the scene. It not only visually sets things up, but it more importantly adds flavor to what would otherwise be a bland scene-framing paragraph. There (to my eyes) is also humor to be found, because of the revelation of Fidler’s placement in things. He is ignorant of much/all of the tragic drama just conveyed to us, and this highlights the truth that there can be huge amounts of history beneath our feet, but lost to time if we are ignorant of it. Now regarding Felisin, I’ll agree that she (along with many other characters) is a bit more erudite than expected (though perhaps for her it can be chocked up to her nobility education and natural intelligence). However if you allow for the author’s “intervention” in pretty-ing up the language, I feel it often does a wonderful job of accurately capturing how characters would actually think. To the point where he is stating their thoughts/outlooks much better than most of the characters could be reasonably expected to. Back to Felisin’s specific case, almost all of the conclusions she draws are pessimistic nonsense but she sees them as great pearls of wisdom. Much of the content (if not presentation) of her inner monologue is realistically what you would expect from a troubled 15/16 year old, often overvaluing the profoundness of her own thoughts and constantly questioning the authority and competence of those around her. Anyway, that’s my two cents about the passages you brought up. I’m sad much of the book hasn’t been jiving with you, but I selfishly hope you at least read _Memories of Ice_ before putting the last nail in the coffin... :)

[felipealonso]

Why is people so focused on the wordiness or worldbuilding?
I'm more of a "feeling" guy. It's simple if you don't feel your guts crushed throughout the chain of dogs, then this is probably not for you. Malazan themes are forgiveness, compassion, redemtions. Those things are the one that make Malazan great to me. Yes, I love the worldbuilding and Steven's writting just has a pacing that somehow keeps my brain entertained, I've found few authors that can do that, but still for me is the human factor that makes me stick with it.
The chain of dogs made me a fan for life, every step of that ardous miserable journey, a fight against all odds. The horror of wars, the despair of the hopeless, and the honor of the wickans, all through the eyes of an ol' veteran. It just got me.

[danbuter]

Malazan is easily my favorite fantasy series. If you ever re-read it, you will find soooo much stuff you missed the first time through. Great characters, magic, world, etc. Also, there are tons of things in the first couple books that seem minor, that are actually incredibly important. Another big thing is that Erikson is a master of finishing a book. He builds suspense like no one else I've read, and there's always a big pay-off right at the end (sometimes good, sometimes evil).

[dark_ones_taint]

I’ve read the series several times and honestly, a lot of it is relevant but also a lot of it doesn’t SEEM relevant until near the end

[albondiga]

I read the first book. It felt like labor to read. Thought I'd stop there, but gave Deadhouse Gates a chance and loved it. No way am I stopping now.

[whitej]

Journey before destination taken to a whole new level.

[bibidable]

Fiddler must have rolled a natural 20 on his history check at that point heheh.

But in all seriousness, I get that it's not really your style, but I wouldn't say it's a mostly irrelevant info dump. In addition to what others have commented about how it gives a sense of Fiddler's feelings at that point, I think it helps build what I can best describe as tone or ambiance. Also, you don't even have to go that much further in the book to get to a chapter where that part of the city's history becomes relevant. That passage explains why there is a large, mostly abandoned section of the city where Mebra can conduct his spying activities, and if I remember correctly that's also where the Malazan soldiers are practicing their evacuation drills (and those drills are the reason why the Chain of Dogs exists at all).

I'm on book 6 right now, and I definitely have my criticisms for the series, but this ain't one of them.

[raswartz]

Discussing Malazan has made me appreciate how much people vary in the way that they process information. You've articulated one of the main problems I had with Malazan: it's so hard to determine which information is salient.

How do you know when something is going to be a big mystery to be resolved later? How do you know when you've simply spaced out on some basic plot or character detail and need to go back and reread? Or how do you know when you can just go with the flow and let the information float into the background?

I haven't cracked the code for Malazan yet.

[IskarJarak]

I absolutely love this video! I think you hit it spot on and it really just comes down to what kind of reader you are as to whether you will enjoy it. If you like that 3D world building, background building, mystery element where you’re just plopped in and are figuring things out alongside the characters, then you will like it otherwise it will seem like a chore if you’re reading to get to the punchline. Very much a journey vs. a destination series to me. The only point I would make on Felisin* being wise beyond her years is that she has been through one hell of a journey so it isn’t too surprising that she has retreated to philosophizing inside her own head. While beautifully written, what she said wasn’t particularly complex. Deep, yes. But she was basically saying life is pointless, but in her noble born, well educated, stuck up vocabulary. That’s how it came off to me at least. Great review!

[lifesabeach]

I am reading the series for the 3rd time, reading Midnight Tides right now, I still can't decide which book is my favorite but this is right up there

[captainbritain]

Regarding Felisin’s character, I think her oddly mature sounding thoughts can be explained by the fact that she’s a poet, and has been through trauma that has led her to deep reflection.

[Joshua.zero]

Currently reading classics and Realm of the Elderlings, but after watching this video I cant wait to get into this series!

[zadig]

Malazan feels like a post-structuralist deconstruction of the genre that is focused more on the dynamics of populations rather than any particular individuals within it. In reality, individuals are all but meaningless; it is through collective effort that meaningful change occurs and stagnation is avoided.

By eschewing the big-L Liberal narratives that we are used to, Erickson is able to more clearly illustrate how the passage of history occurs, our relationship with that history, how power structures develop out of it, and how we are manipulated by our understanding of it.

[darkale]

One thing that struck me from reading Deadhouse Gates is that I enjoyed the non-magical segments much more than the high magic parts. The Chain of Dogs segment was heartbreaking and awesome, and I really liked following Duiker, Felisin, and Kalam as well as Mappo & Icarium's bromance earlier on. But I couldn't get excited for the high magic because it's not super well explained, so I'm not invested in the stakes.