House of Chains: Malazan Book of the Fallen 4

A very fun fantasy book, by itself to read. The book was in great condition. The story though is my #1 malazan book 2nd being midnight tides. So you know how much I enjoyed this one

The fourth book of this magnificent series again delivers an incredible reading experience. We have come to expect excellence from Erikson, and he has yet to disappoint. A complex and detailed setting is becoming more and more understandable as all of the pieces begin to fall into place, yet Erikson continues to give small glimpses into as-yet-unexplored areas of his world. To me, two things stand out about this series. First, the setting is immense and Erikson throws the reader in with no life-line. You'll often feel that you've missed something important when reading these books. That may sound like a negative, but it actually gives the series an attractive power, promising future revelations and challenging the reader. Secondly, the characters are awesome. Real-seeming figures in the sense of them being imperfect and complex, yet impossible in their astounding abilities and towering personalities. Erikson's characters evolve in believable ways throughout these stories, and figures that you start out hating you may find yourself rooting for later on. Karsa Orlong is a great example in this book. Book 4 jumps back to events following Deadhouse Gates , focusing on the Rebellion against the Malazan Empire in the Holy Desert Raraku. Felisin and Heboric are at the center of the rebellion, and what we get in HOUSE OF CHAINS is the build-up towards to confrontation of Felisin (now Sha'ik) with her sister Tavore (now the Empress' Adjunct) who has been sent to quell the uprising. A few of the original Bridgeburners play central roles in this book, including the fan-favorites Fiddler and Kalam Mekhar. There are also a number of great new characters introduced here, most importantly, Karsa Orlong, who's story is perhaps the most compelling of the entire series. We had briefly met him previously as Toblakai, but we now we are treated to a back-story that will take your breath away, as we watch Karsa go from an isolated barbarian to a god-challenging, world-shaping super-man. We also follow the continuing changes with Crokus and Apsalar, both now intertwined in the machinations of the god of assassins, Cotillion. All of the stories in HOUSE OF CHAINS are intensely personal, as characters develop, but there is still tons of intense action. This is a blood-filled epic if there ever was one, and I just can't get enough. Very much looking forward to Midnight Tides . I highly recommend the entire series.

Do I always know what's going on? Not exactly. But having just finished this fourth of the Malazan books, I have become comfortably accustomed to Erikson's writing and plotting style. Starting about midway through the previous book, Memories of Ice, I feel like I truly became captivated. While enjoyable, the first two books were challenging for me. But now I think I finally have adapted my reading and expectations to Erikson's insanely epic style of writing. One has to let go of the usual expectations one has when reading a series with these books. You are being transported to another world, and no one is going to lead you by the hand here. Need some escapism? There is no more enjoyable, thrilling, grim, funny, gory, and entertaining world to escape to than Malazan. The large cast of characters is daunting, but there are characters that really shine and find their way into your heart and memory. Even the occasionally drawn out and intricate conversations and military planning sessions have become enjoyable for me. These books reward paying very close attention to everything that happens and is said. This is the book that really nailed it home for me: This series is well worth the effort, no matter how lost you may at times feel. Truly and deliciously EPIC.

Steven Erikson plunges the reader into an immersive, expansive and mysterious world that is virtually devoid of fantasy cliche and full of memorable characters, exciting action, complex plotting and glimpses of humour. His writing is vivid and compelling, never overtly moralistic, and leaves the reader satisfied and with a distinct impression that there was much more going on than the author chose to reveal. Erikson rarely explains things directly, leaving the reader to put it all together for him- or herself. The Malazan Empire and surrounding continents are realised with originality and unsurpassed complexity, which really bring the places, civilisations and people to life in the mind’s eye. With not an Elf or an Orc to be seen (at least, Erikson would never explicitly call them by those names), this is a fantasy writer deserving of much wider acclaim. The whole series of novels is inspired and (literally) fantastic, but this particular book stands out: Karsa Orlong stands head and shoulders above Conan!

A light 5/5. Honestly, I do not understand the reasons behind the harsh criticism this book gets on the internet. I saw many readers, indeed, complaining about "House of Chains" being something like a downgrade compared to "Memories of Ice". Truth be told, my experience was completely different. This fourth installment has been, for me, the most intense chapter of the series from an emotional standpoint. On one hand, the unforgiving and dark universe of Malazan is here in full display: this notwithstanding, the characters fight on and keep on trying to find the beauty of life hidden behind cruelty and despair. On the other hand, with "House of Chains" a lot of mysteries enter the fray and lay the groundwork for the huge development I hope to see (and read!) in the following books. Barring the very first part, where it took me a while to completely tune into the flow of the narration, Steven Erikson is here able to maintain the attention of the reader at a high level throughout the entire book. So far, "House of Chains" is the book where the presence and the role of Malazan's past represents, somehow, the backbone of the entire story and where new plot lines fully and truly unfold. I have been enjoying the series since "Gardens of the Moon", but I must admit that "House of Chains" unlocked something in me that made my experience of Malazan even better.