THE CRIPPLED GOD - REVIEW

My review of The Crippled God, By Steven Erikson.

[DanielGreeneReviews]

We finally did it boys. IT’S OVER. IT’S DONE!!

[seancain]

Having read the series two times now, I felt like this.
1st Read: WHAT'S HAPPENING?!?! WHAT'S A WARREN?! WHAT'S A HOLD?!
2nd Read: Holy shit! He planted this thread THIS EARLY?! Oh wow! This throw away line is going to mean so much in 6 books!

[theriddler]

first scene in the series-

'i want to be a soldier!'

'nah kid, the best life is unnoticed'

last scene in the series'

'i want to be a soldier!'

'sure kid, the world can always use another soldier'

and in between is eriksons 3.3 million word argument... it is a good argument.

[IskarJarak]

It's been fun to watch your evolution on this series since you began GotM--we knew you'd become a convert eventually! Thanks for putting a spotlight on this series for others to find and enjoy! <3

[thestatusjoe]

I think the Crippled God is probably one of the best written books in the series but my favorite is still Deadhouse Gates bc that last stand of Coltaine really hit me hard (I was 13 when I read it and I cried lmao) and it was probably the most emotional experience I’ve ever had reading a book

[Severian]

The madlad did it! I know the feeling when you see "And now the page before us blurs..." for the first time. It is a feeling I have been chasing for a long time since, and sometimes I wish I could forget the entire series and read it again for the first time. It is the one series that completely changed my life, made me a better person. Malazan is the best. Thank you so much for promoting this series, I know it can be difficult but you stuck with it. Many people don't, so thanks Goblin!

[sernoddicusthegallant]

Daniel: "We finally did it boys ITS OVER. ITS DONE!"
Esslemont: "Well yes, but actually no"

[snowmexican]

Gesler and bent towards the end gets me every damn time.

[Finkeldinken]

I love this series. At first read-through it was despite of the emotional and other kinds of whiplash, but after the first four or five books and upon full series re-read, because of them.
It's exhausting and it drains me like no other fantasy series, but no other series has my brain screaming and crying: "I can't just stand here and watch, I need to help! Somebody help, why is this a book, they're dying and I can't reach them!"
I have been very invested in many wonderful and horrible fantasy characters in my life, but I have never had my heart broken and mended so often and so thoroughly as I have with Malazan.

I 100% understand anyone who nopes out hard on it, but as a child of the 80s and 90s, I'm gonna have to say It's my JAM.

[kevinpilch]

I've been waiting for this one.

Malazan is a long one, but so worth it. Loved to see your journey.

An old quote I love from SE about the series is that it's "a 3 million word plea for compassion." Perfect description.

[CatrionaReads]

Beginning the series in January with the Mike's Book Reviews readalong and I'm very excited!

[OneMoreMeme_INeedYou]

This video is proof that the real character arc in Malazan is the one the reader has haha. On a serious note, I love your enthusiasm here. Malazan certainly takes us on a journey doesn’t it? I love the point you made about the thematic through line being more important than every little plot detail coming back together for the finale. I would deeply appreciate a spoiler discussion on TCG, I would love to see your reactions to the insanity that went down, and to characters like Tavore.

[Ashencrowe]

The levels of individual sacrifices for the Greater Good in Crippled God will always haunt me, and challenge me in my day to day life. It is difficult to not come out of this story a changed, and better, person.

[philistine]

I started this series August last year and was reading a book a month during work as a courier waiting for mailboxes to open, until shit hit the fan with covid. Only on book 8 in the final quarter. Since then, I've taken up a roll as a rural postie, (I spend a good 9hours a working day in the van) so I've acquired the audio books to listen to for this series, within 2 months, I'm already in book 5 (going to stop and listen to something else before I overtake my reading). I have to say, a second time around, there is so much more you pick up on. I had been dying to re-read gardens of the moon because of so much that probably just went over my head the 1st time. Going through the series again, it really hits you at how well tied together the series is. Reading toll the hounds whilst listening to gardens of the moon, despite them being book eight and book one, TTH feels like a close sequel to it because of the setting. One thing I have noticed, there is a fair bit of title dropping in previous books, nods to future titles i.e midnight tides being mentioned in chain of dogs and dust of dreams being mentioned in tth

[stevenl.]

Congrats and welcome to the club Daniel! Can we look forward to spoiler-filled Malazan videos in the future?

[nh]

Daniel please make a tier ranking video for this series and maybe your fav characters of this series.

[thomasdevenish]

I'm so glad you liked it! I honestly had the same experience of having it completely reframe the whole series. I generally don't cry from reading fiction but after that ending poem I was almost blubbering in public.

[andrewhanson]

Glad it left you with such a positive taste. You seemed pretty mixed on the series up to this point, which had me temper my expectations going into reading it. Your getting me excited to finish out the series now.

[StefanDimitrovBG]

I am so happy for you that you finally managed to finish the series and that you enjoyed it.

[BudderChezMC]

Lol Daniel's direct eye contact with the camera makes me feel like he's looking into my soul 😂 anyways, definitely going to give this whole series a go! Congrats on finishing!!!