Deadhouse Gates

Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 2

By: Steven Erikson

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha’ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising known as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends.....

Set in a brilliantly realized world ravaged by dark, uncontrollable magic, this thrilling novel of war, intrigue, and betrayal confirms Steven Erikson as a storyteller of breathtaking skill, imagination, and originality - a new master of epic fantasy.

©2006 Steven Erikson (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Give me the evocation of a rich, complex, and yet ultimately unknowable other world, with a compelling suggestion of intricate history and mythology and lore. Give me mystery amid the grand narrative. Give me a world in which every sea hides a crumbled Atlantis, every ruin has a tale to tell, every mattock blade is a silent legacy of struggles unknown. Give me, in other words, the fantasy work of Steven Erikson." (Andrew Leonard, Salon)

An Epic Tale of War and Tragedy

Deadhouse Gates is the second book in the dark military epic fantasy known as the Malazan Tale of the Fallen.

Finishing this massive tome feels like you have lived through the war along with the characters. You're exhausted... yet filled with a feeling of accomplishment, and no small sense of awe. The sheer scope of the story that Erikson is weaving is simply MASSIVE beyond anything I've ever read.

This book is the story of a rebellion breaking out in a land controlled by the Malazan Empire, and the brewing war that ensues. It takes about 300 pages to set up, so until then you'll feel like you did in Gardens of the Moon - "What the heck is going on, and why is _____ happening?"

I can see where people say that you need to get to this point before the story really grabs you. That's the nature of this tale, I think. The question is whether you're willing to put this much effort into it, and whether you judge the rewards worth the effort. For me, this was leaps and bounds better than "Gardens of the Moon".

The narration was excellent. The voices matched the dark, hard and gritty tone of the novel.

If you're interested in reading this series, you need to get some notions out of your head. This is a broad canvas that Erikson is painting. This is a milieu story. It is not so much a character story. Yes, there are good characters, and they grow on you, but if you let yourself invest too much into them, you may get hurt.

Every major character will suffer in this book, and some will die. Brutality reigns in this medieval world, and last-minute rescues are so rare that you should never expect them. Innocents suffer. There is some redemption, but I found some scenes hard to stomach. Heroic struggles end in horrid death, and at those times it made me want to scream "WHY DID YOU EVEN WRITE THIS?!" yet it is remarkably well-written. This story is an epic tale of empires.

There is a LOT of war in this book, more than any book I've ever read, up there with "A Memory of Light", and that war took 13 books to set up. I can only imagine what's coming in the rest of this series!

The main drawbacks I found were in the nature of the storytelling - the high learning curve, and at times, the seeming randomness in which plot-pivotal events occur. It's hard to believe that characters just happens to be on the right road, in the right place at the right time, for his/her destiny to suddenly be unveiled, or to witness some ancient prophecy come to pass. Nevertheless, when viewed among the vastness of this tome, such events don't cripple the story itself.

I've got Memories of Ice next, and I'm expecting that to be a turning point. They say you get hooked after that one. I guess we will see!

The whirlwind Is coming, and we ARE the whirlwind!

If you've read my review of Erikson's Gardens of the Moon: The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1, I stated:

"This is a stunningly powerful epic that can both capture and entrance you. Words like stirring, captivating, engaging, and memorable come to mind. This wonderful work has rich and complex storylines, characters, and descriptions. Consider the complexity of The Lord Of The Rings. Take it up a few notches, and you might be there when it comes to the Gardens of the Moon. Seriously. And this is only the first in the series!"

Well, here's the second book, and it's equally as stirring, captivating, and enjoyable as the first.

So, here's the conundrum: How do I review this book without giving anything away?

Wow. Okay. Deep breath. Here goes.

Once again, Erikson crafts a masterpiece that brings a strong storyline, rich character development, dark fantasy, the winds of war, and just plain good story-telling together.

He carries on the story beautifully and rewardingly begun in the first, but it takes place countless leagues away from where Gardens of the Moon began, with only a few of the characters from the first book along for this new ride.

Strap in, because a virtual jihad of war is on the horizon, a nightmare whirlwind, and anyone who has read the first book has figured out exactly what I'm being vaguely stating here. Yes, it's coming to pass, and characters you'll love (and hate), most new and a couple of old ones as as well, will be swept into its maelstrom. Deep magics, black plots, and machiavellian twists and betrayals lay in wait for the listener. And I HAVE to say, Erikson got me in a few places in this book - I usually play chess in my head with novels, trying to figure out in advance where the arthor is going. And often, I'm right.

Not here.

Erikson, you got me good. REALLY good. You surprised me a number of times. You twisted the plot, and then twisted it yet again . You gave both heroes and villains powerful motivation and direction. The military scenes were dead on. It's...well...gripping.

And GREAT listening. Keep in mind that the sheer size of this sweeping epic requires time to set up the pawns, knights, bishops and king and queen on the gameboard, but once done, the story propels you forward. it takes you on a journey that still has eight more books to complete.

But again, it is NOT for the casual listener. In fact, it's more demanding than the first audiobook. Is that even possible? Yes, it definitely is. Is it worth the effort?

Yes, it definitely is.

It is, in a word, exceptional.

Thank You, Audible. Keep 'em Coming!

Any additional comments?

I haven't started it yet, but I can't wait. Thank you Audible for picking the second book up. I hope you get the rest soon.

MORE!

This series is dense, deep, rich and can be confusing if you're not paying attention. So many names, so many places and so many things going on. I would love to see the entire series on Audible (it would be nice to have a complete, long series ready to go!)

I can't say too much that's negative, it's just all good! Characters are memorable and you invest yourself in their stories. The plot seems pretty solid, although I have no idea where it's going, yet. The writing is quite good and at times you feel the language elevate you to more emotion than you probably want while sitting in an office, listening to a book. And its scale is epic. A nice, long listen.

Download it. Download it now!

The Chain of Dogs is a masterpiece.

Madness. 200 hundred leagues to Aren. The greatest book you can buy. Do it.

Complex.

Had to listen too it two times , lot's of charcters and places to keep track on.

Rough editing of a great story

Story is great, but the lack of pauses between character shifts is hard to follow.

Perfect fantasy

Another excellent entry in the best fantasy series of all time. This book along with the rest of the series does require your attention but when attention is paid the reader is rewarded.

Malazan is a deep well that continues giving!

If you’re listening to this series, you will need to listen to each book more than once to get most of the story. It doesn’t hold your hand, and the surface story arc is good, but the deep dive is so much better.

This is the good stuff I crave! Give me depth!

Favorite of the series

third time through the series, I have read all the great works of this genre this series is easily the greatest adult fantasy book of all time