Malazan: The Bonehunters Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2023
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I didn't have a physical book this time and relied on audio far more, which made getting my notes together much harder for this review, so sorry for any name confusion I may have mixed up. I plan to purchase physical again for Reapers Gale!
I love how much weight Erikson can have in so few words - when Trull stands back infront of Icarium: "Lifestealer's eyes blazed, and in that incandescence, Trull imagined he saw recognition. Yes, me again."
And: Mogora - "What if I told you I was pregnant?" ... Iskaral Pust - "I'd kill the mule."
I started howling when Pust said that lol. My wife thought I was having a seizure or something.
Favorite quote
I spend an absurd amount of time wrecking my brain trying to figure out what the deal is with that mule! On book 8 and still stumped.
Kalam vs Multiple Claws assassins on the rooftop is still to this day my top 5 kalam moments
yes dude, one of the best combat scenes ive read
"Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words" is a quote in Deadhouse Gates that has stayed with me for years. The point you made about Erikson putting children in the middle of devastating situations to emphasize their destructiveness makes the quote hit all the more harder.
"And so we weep for the fallen. We weep for those yet to fall, and in war the screams are loud and harsh and in peace the wail is so drawn-out we tell ourselves we hear nothing.
And so this music is a lament, and I am doomed to hear its bittersweet notes for a lifetime.
Show me a god that does not demand mortal suffering.
Show me a god that celebrates diversity, a celebration that embraces even non-believers and is not threatened by them.
Show me a god who understands the meaning of peace. In life, not in death.
Show-"
'Stop,' Gesler said in a grating voice.
Blinking, Fiddler lowered the instrument. 'What?'
'You cannot end with such anger, Fid. Please.'
Anger? I am sorry. He would have spoken that aloud, but suddenly he could not. His gaze lowered, and he found himself studying the littered floor at his feet. Someone, in passing - perhaps Fiddler himself - had inadvertently stepped on a cockroach. Half-crushed, smeared into the warped wood, its legs kicked feebly. He stared at it in fascination.
"Dear creature, do you now curse an indifferent god?"
'You're right,' he said. 'I can't end it there.' He raised the fiddle again. 'Here's a different song for you, one of the few I've actually learned. From Kartool. It's called "The Paralt's Dance".' He rested the bow on the strings, then began.
Wild, frantic, amusing. Its final notes recounted the triumphant female eating her lover. And even without words, the details of that closing flourish could not be mistaken.
The four men laughed.
Then fell silent once more
THAT THRONE ROOM SCENE AT THE END. Erikson knows how to write throne room scenes lol So much subtext and so much said with simple glances and looks. Amazing stuff
Hellian is such a great comedic character, one of the turning points that pushed me from having the Bridgeburners number 1 to the Bonehunters
She fucking cracks me up like no other. Her going off on Banaschar about questions vs answers is so funny and in the last book when she's trying to figure out which soldier is Crump and which is Limp I cackle
Hellian is one of my favourite of Eriksons comic relief characters, I like her a lot more than Iskaral or Telorast and Curdle though that may be down to the audiobook narrator. SPOILER Her stuff with taverns in Reapers Gale was a highlight
I absolutely adore Hellian's single-minded approach to every situation.
While Helian is a great source of comedy and fun antics. When you analyze and contextualize the text, she is an amazing soldier and combat leader,. If i remember correctly, not a single soldier in her squad and under her command died, and considering the events that unfold, that is quite the feat.
Man, when she waltzes up to Admiral Nok and starts blabbering about swapping bottles with him...
I cannot believe you didn’t mention Tavore!!!!!! Haha, I don’t blame you though, a LOT of stuff happens in this book. I feel like after the end of HoC, all my emotional investment in Felisin got passed onto Tavore, (I NEEDED to know what her deal was) and so every single scene with or around her in this book I read so intensely. And to finally have that moment at the end where she protects the Wickans and the Bonehunters and you know for sure she’s a good guy was sooo rewarding for me. Tavore and The Bonehunters leaving the Malazan Empire is the biggest watershed moment in the series for me. Love that you brought up Fiddler’s jam sesh during this though, it’s a perfect touch to go over an already epic moment.
Kalam John Wicking his way through Malaz city was probably my favourite thing in this book.
The best part of that Iskaral Pust quote is that he is the most rambling character in the series while speaking about "Man's" stoicism
The moment where Cotillion is seen with his head in his hands after the fight at the first throne.
One of my favorite scenes in this book was the reading of the deck of dragons by Fidler before arriving at Malaz Island. I love the relationship between Kindly and Poors. That scene with the two squads on the deck holding off the mob is fantastic, Koryk sniping the Captain was awesome..."he wanted us to give them the Wickens"
I flipped when you compared Iskaral Pust and his wife to Miracle Max and his wife in The Princess Bride! That was perfect!!! 😂 Those scenes in the book were so hilarious! This review was amazing, and I loved reliving all these moments through your reactions! ❤
Believe it or not, in my opinion the best of Malazan (Toll The Hounds) is still to come!
There's a lot of good stuff. The Crippled God is my favourite of the latter half, so many incredible moments, so much catharsis, it makes the rest of the books even better knowing what it was all leading to.
Ooh, it's hard to choose between toll the hounds, this book, and midnight tides but I will firmly stand on the toll the hounds train myself... But midnight tides is so good, maybe I'm on that train, idk. Can't pick
@@monksean
Midnight Tides is maybe the best all-round book, every POV was engaging for me, a great mix of humorous scenes and Malazans deep dark ones. The Rhulad brothers in particular have great character work and Tehol and Bugg are Eriksons best humorous characters. It's also one of the shortest books but everything is sharp and in place. But other books reach greater highs and that's what I go in for
I just passed the halfway mark. it has been great so far but i don't see it surpasing Memories of Ice.
I am constantly amazed by how many different styles Erikson managed to fit into 10 books. This book is pretty much 2-3 novels packed into one, and I LOVE it so much! Constant excitement, Y'Ghatan, Paran and Poliel, the potential end of the world that Paran stops, Kalam in Malaz City, I love it all so so so much.
Loved the review as usual. I think you meant to say Cotillion and said Coltaine by mistake. And then when you were comparing Shadowthrone losing his humanity and saying Apsalar is gaining humanity, I think you meant Cotillion there. That Cotillion after being a God is slowly finding his humanity. That last scene of him sitting with his head in his hands is so moving. Also it was not Onrack who melted and fused with the throne, it was another T'lan Imass in the group. Onrack was just knocked out.
I so missed the fact that you didn't talk about the betrayal of the Wickans and the legacy of Coltaine. That after their heroic sacrifice in Deadhouse Gates, now they are being painted as the villains. What you thought of Laseen and her decisions.
Also really wished you talked about Tavore and her character.
Btw when are you planning to start Reaper's Gale? That book will be back to very hard to read scenes with quite a bit of sexual assault. So trigger warning.
P. S. Corabb became one of my favorite characters in this book. Fiddler's line: "I have never been in better hands."
thank you so much for your help with character name confusions. I relied more on the audiobook this time because I didn't have a physical copy which made getting notes together so much harder. I'm planning to go back to physical next time!
@@merphynapierreviewsfor shadow throne and cotillion it can be pretty easy to mix them up. It starts to get easier at the very end of this book and in future books though
@@merphynapierreviewshave you seen the prices for a physical reapers gale? Lol I think it's the most expensive of the lot hardback is over 200
This is why I love listening to your reviews, it took me till book 10 to get some of the themes but you've already picked up on them. Also how are you not gonna talk about the under Y'Ghatan sequence??? That was the "best" part of the book for me, once it started I couldn't stop and read the whole afternoon, probably my largest block of Malazan reading in the series lol
I was also expecting more talk on the escape of Y'Ghatan. It is a top 3 scene for me and few friends.
It's amazing how this video could have been double the length and still have more to cover. I particularly like Ganoes such a boss this book just gets stuff done, Kills the God Of Plague and swaggers out to take over One Arms army
I've been looking forward to this because Y'Ghatan is probably my favorite scene/chapter/sequence in all fantasy. I got goosebumps as soon as you said 'Chapter 7.'
Regarding the intentionality of putting innocents centre stage in these books, in interviews with Erikson .... (Not spoilers, but some people want to avoid author statements because death of the author stuff)
He very, very clearly says that he does his level best to make scenes of violence as harsh and non-gratuitous as he can. He is very much in the camp of compassion, not reveling in misery or brushing it aside. Civilians and front line soldiers and such get centre stage because, for him, that's the point. No glorious generals moving pieces on a map but real people on the ground dying, or killing to avoid dying...all without making it the kind of misery-porn/grimdark stuff that makes that kind of thing into a spectacle to be enjoyed rather than mourning the tragedy it is.
And yes, this is all paraphrasing, but...his interviews are extremely blunt about this kind of thing.
Oh man seeing get emotional over Corab was really bringing me back. Glad you connected to one of my favorite reads of all time!
I still cry at yhe scene woth Fid playing his Fiddle and Stormy askimg him to stop because its too sad, too angry
Hadn't realized how often 'children are dying' plays out. And again at the throne scene.
But what makes the series is so engaging is you have these massive scenes coupled with incredibly intimate ones. Like the siege followed by the claustrophobic tunnel escape.
And then comedy intermissions, gallows or slapstick, to help break the tension.
About Corabb Bhilan Thenu'alas (you have name him properly jeje), he gets to become a really interesting and even funny character. I loved how brave he was in the bonehunters, because you need certain type of courage to care about people you do not know and accept that you were wrong. It just makes my eyes watery to remember him and his whole story. Keep reading.
Excellent video discussing this insane emotional roller coaster of a book. The quote you couldn't remember is from chapter 5 and it goes: " Savagery, the inclination towards vicious cruelty, the
cunning of a predator that draws no boundaries and would sooner destroy one
of its own kind than another. Feeding the spirit on the torn flesh of children.
That stunning exercise of intelligence that could justify any action, no matter
how abhorrent." Erikson is so beautiful with words at showing us the horrors of the human experience at times. His writing does more than just give you awesome "head movies" to picture when you're reading. Some of these scenes will be forever burned(pardon the Y'Ghatan pun, too soon?) into your brain.
As for young innocent children, you haven’t even met Young Harllo or Beak. Erickson writes children in the most wholesome and heartbreaking way
Starting reapers gale today and glad you and Jimmy have videos out to help me refresh on Bonehunters!
Astute to pick up on the fact that children seem to be at the center of most tragedies in Malazan. It comes up a lot and the injustices children are forced to confront is one of my favorite prevailing themes in the series especially with how it pans out as the story reveals itself.
Corabb is one of the greatest characters in the whole of the MbotF. He is a model of nobility and service. I love the guy.
I love how fell in love with One Piece and Malazan! Enjoying these spoiler reviews so much!
I've just finished reading BH for the second time and wanted to get other opinions on it which led me to the Books With Brittany review of it and I'm totally convinced she has not read that book and possibly many others(at least from the reviews i've personally watched). I say that to say thank you for actually dedicating yourself to your craft and making honest and introspective videos that more often than not pick up on small minute things that even i've missed.
Just finished Bonehunters today. I've enjoyed the whole series, but it's crazy how good these last two have been. Also speaks to how good Bonehunters is that there are a bunch of great moments you didn't even mention. Bottle was great, Keneb really got flushed out, the humanitarian of Cotillion. Apasalar taking the rice wine to her room alone at the end was devastating. Thank goodness for Iskaral and the apsalars two little bone Dino companions for comedic relief
Yay been waiting for this. Was my favourite in the series (of the 8 ive read)
came here after i saw your one piece review, im a big fan of the series. love your work.
I just love how excited you are by these books. I was the exact same way, You've reached peak Malazan.
Great review! The Bonehunters is in my top 3 Malazan books....the best is yet to come imo
Love the review. Amazes me how many different favorite parts/characters in this series people have while reading the comments. I agree a with a lot of folks the best is yet to come. Reapers Gale happened to be a particular favorite of mine. But the delirious highs and terrible lows only get higher and lower from here :)
I was really expecting rats to be mentioned in this video! Chapter 7 shocked you in the temple it seems but it took my breath away in the spelunking that followed... I let a breath I didn't know I was holding when it ended...
Rats and honey, man!
One of my favorite series, I am reading a 4th time, on Toll the Hounds, ad there are so many more moments to come, a great ride
This is my favourite book in the series. I stopped reading halfway through and took a 7 year break because I was getting tired of the series "going nowhere." Little did I know that if I'd just read a few hours longer everything would start coming together the way I was hoping for. Marathoned the series from there.
One incredibly pleasant surprise for me in this book WAS Shadowthrone. Before midnight tides I read the first two path to ascendancy books, and seeing all of Shadowthrones weirdness and fucking goofy cartoony scheming, and just being like "yep nope that's just straight up how kellanved has always been" was so nice.
Nice timing! I finished this book today. I really appreciate this series but it is very demanding. So far my reading order is 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, 2, 5, 6 and I plan to reread 3 next. This also includes some breaks reading other books.
It was after I finished this book that I knew this series would be one of my favorites! So many things is this book made it impactful, emotional scenes, humor, epic and terrible battles, it’s top notch stuff!
I remember a scene where some trooper showed up on the Bonehunter's ship during the chaos. I don't remember who he came across but someone stood their ground against them and the dialogue said that the trooper noticed two lizards hissing at him as well, and i just cracked up.
Also I felt so exhausted for Kalam as he was fighting through all the chaos after the betrayal of Laseen, then when Pearl shot him I screamed and was SO GLAD that Apsalar f***ed him up afterwards.
Great minds think alike with the Iskaral Pust & Magora Princess Bride link. That has been who I have been telling people I picture in my mind as well.
Too much happens in each Malazan book, but when I describe the writing in The Bonehunters, and start with "The first 500 pages is a city burning, and an army pushing deeper into the city" and people say that sounds boring. The claustrophobia I felt as Y'gathan burned! I could feel the heat!
Another malazan book review video!!! Well cant say I blame ya Merphy it is a solid series...
The best review/reaction of this book!!!!
Now, i want to read this book again!!!! 😅😅
Chapter 23 was such an amazingly written chapter in so many ways forget the claw battle, the scene between Tavore and laseen was just… wow
Maybe you can do a video together with AP about Malazan. I will really enjoy seen it. Have a great day Merphy!
I'm almost done with the Crippled God, and I've just watched all of your reviews. I can't believe how much I've already forgotten! I need to re-read the series as soon as I'm done with it. Lol
Hi Merphy!! Have you finished Reapers Gale yet? I just did and would LOVE to know your thoughts!!
It's time. Pust quote to start with lolll... Legendary. As I said, Mephy is the absolute top to start reading this series. Everyone, watch her videos and you will start it. And there is the end of this book... "Mortal Sword of Togg and Fendaray..." again. And how and why they leave. You left this out. This is a bridge book of the series... And connects to something to come. :)
It's been a bit, but I think the guy Apsalar was talking to on the boat was Squint, the archer that shot Coltaine way back in Book 2.
Hahaha that quote, Iskarel Pust is the best
merphy what are those black books in the top left corner?
Corab going back for Fiddler... my hero!
Very nice that the Bonehunters is really well written with its intense scenes of action and devastation.
When interesting moments of action happens, Malazan really shines.
I think at this point there is a very good chance Toll of the Hounds becomes Merph's favorite book of all time.
“Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words”
The moment where cotilion weeps into his hands after the battle fir the first throne :(
I wasn't sure what to do with Sin either. Was super dissapointed in Leomon, I really liked him previously. I love Korab.
The thing about our boy Corabb is, he's lucky. I don't think this is a spoiler (especially cos I might be making it up) but I think I've heard Steve say that he wasn't necessarily a character that was marked for survival, but it just kept being more fun to have him somehow, improbably, make it - so he decided that Corabb was literally touched by Oponn. This is one of those moments where you wonder -- did Erikson mean to make the point that escaping that kind of blind faith in a deceitful leader is just as big a stroke of luck as falling over just as a fireball goes over your head? Or was it just good TV? Also your review's points about the theme of children being used for tragedy and the epic nature of Greyfrog/Telorast/Curdle in this book made me think about how Erikson really uses animal/creature characters for comic relief to such great effect that it's taken me two rereads to even group them together. The scorpions, the cattle dogs, the funny little dragon skeletons, the telepathic frog demon, the terrifying one-eyed tripod shadow alien, hounds, the gral horse, and several donkeys!
I absolutely love the bonehunters 😊💯
I did not expect going into book six of a series and get a new favorite character. Corabb is the goat. He’s the best, especially paired in that wholesome duo with Fiddler. Also Leoman is the absolutely worst - truly the Kyle Haven of the series and I hate his guts and every single step that he takes with a burning passion.
Leoman is redeemed in Ian C Esslemont's Novels of the Malazan Empire
I really liked this book but felt it suffered from pacing and lack of identity. Also I believe it was Monok Ochem who got melted to the throne, not Onrack.
Agreed. But no Quick Ben or Kalam?
I mean, Shadowthorne did some good with Kalam no?
And the Empress betraying the 14th, the 14th protecting their Wickans from a genocidal mob, and Tavore turning her back on the Empire?
Bonehunters is so good, thanks for the review!
Also, love Corabb and hate Leoman
dont worry the Reapers's Gale will devour you afterwards..
I remember how much the ending to this one confused me... until the re-read, and then I was like "duh, it's obvious what's going on"
Chapter 22 where Stormy starts the shitting war with the imperial fleet was quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever read.
It is easy to written a book where most people are adults, but that is not how the world works. Mothers, Fathers and Children live together we as society can not go to war been only men or women. I think, that is something that many books forget. Is something that is no easy to talk about, but I think that Erikson has the courage and also the sensitivity to do it. I love tat you too loved that scene. One of the best. And also, embrace yourself, the next books are...well, keep the Kleenex at hand when reading. I know I did.
For Sin, RAFO
Great review! Bonehunters is absolutely wonderful and it is indeed the "most Malazan" Malazan book.
Corabb and Fiddler is just one of those all-time great moments that's almost impossible to replicate in any other story. Corabb teams up with the Malazans because he sees that they are trying to save the children that Leoman abandoned and yeah... I get a little teary eyed even thinking about Corabb pulling Fiddler out.
One of my favorite subplots that you didn't mention (I know there are so many): the relationship between Capt. Kindly and Lt. Pores. It starts in a low key way I think way back in House of Chains as they are both members of the Ashok regiment. They escape from the Rebellion through the same well that Kalam did, and they drag each other through the desert to join the 14th in Raraku. Then it's seemingly pure sadism by Kindly against Pores. So good. It's like something out of MASH, really.
Me: I'm honored to get the nod
Also Me: but why does it gotta be about penises and breasts?
Still Me: I'm laughing tho
It sounds like you may have liked Bonehunters a little bit. You need to start Reaper's Gail ASAP. I hope I do not die off page.... that is so sad. Once you finish Malazan: Book of the Fallen you will never be able to completely leave the books. Thank You. Oh, Sin is important......
A lot of epic fantasy series have bridge books where the entire point is to get characters from point A to B to get them in place for the end of the series and these often contribute to 'soggy middles'. Bonehunters isn't a perfect book but does a great job as a bridge book where it wraps up story lines where needed and moves characters along without ever getting bogged down. Then we also get the mid-series payoff of Y'Ghatan.
Bonehunters is mostly the burning city. That's what I remember first when I think about the book. I have to think a bit harder to remember anything else in the book 😅
Wonder if u had read it instead of listened if this would be your favorite? It's my favorite so far. 2 mor to go🤞
Btw midnight tides is my least favorite
'Squirt' hahaha
Thoughts on the reveal of why Whiskeyjack never got his leg fixed in Memories of Ice?
healing magic doesn’t work on him
Oh the scene where Felisin is kidnapped. That was the Tlan Imass, not rebels.
Unless you meant the tlan imass? Im which case im very sorry 😂
Okay, let’s retire the name Felisin now. No with that name can catch a break, apparently.
This video needed to be a lot longer.
I think Leoman is enough of a narcissist that yes... he thought of course Corab would follow him out of pure self preservation. The kind of narcissist who cant even imagine someone else having a selfless impulse
You're getting a lot out of this series!
20:40 You say Lostara had to kill her, it sounds like your referring to pearl who is male and goes by he. Are you talking about something else or just misspoke?
The way you describe this book, especially the effect it had on children, brings to mind a movie I saw recently called "The Sound of Freedom".
I don't know if I can recommend it to you because it focuses on the horrors of human trafficking, primarily in regard to children. It is very tactful and does not show anything inappropriate, but needless to say, it was an extremely emotional and depressing watch. The idea of the deepest darknesses of the world affecting the most innocent and pure of humanity breaks my heart.
Thankfully the movie has a relatively happy ending, but the effect it had on me will most certainly last. I haven't read this book, but it seems that it may evoke similar feelings in me potentially.
Leoman did nothing wrong🗿🗿
This story is for people that like D&D. Do you like super mages, with swords that smoke and if they kill people their souls work for them forever? Do you like warriors with level 50 hammers, that the Gods even fear? If you do then these books are for you.
If you like more logical, dark, or original fantasy then you most likely wont like this series.
Wonderful review. It makes sense that you focus a lot on Y'Ghatan. I loved the battle at Malaz City. Becuase you're getting to the actual story of the Book of the Fallen, you should know that Erikson has said the theme of the whole story is compassion, if you didn't know already. The technical main character is Tavore, but you won't get her perspective until almost the very end. I would argue the most accessible non-Tavore-main-character is Fiddler. You'll see the best and worst of humanity in Malazan. I think you'll enjoy Reaper's Gale more than Bonehunters because the threads start to weave together even tighter.
Again, I think you should talk with Erikson at some point in your reading, or after finishing the series. And I'm still thinking Toll the Hounds will be your favourite of the series.
Pronunciation with Malazan is hard for everyone. Hope this helps. malazan.fandom.com/wiki/Pronunciation_Guide