Midnight Tides: A book review

Malazan Book Of The Fallen
Book 5
Midnight Tides

After four books set on two continents, and a series on the cusp of impending war, no one would have considered dedicating time to a prequel of sorts a good idea. The idea would have been horrible for someone like George R.R Martin, who’s likely never going to complete his famous fantasy series. But Erikson is a different kind of author. Not only does he take us to a completely different part of the world, he gives us an ENTIRELY NEW crew: considering that his books usually contain over 150 characters, that’s really staggering. This is exactly the kind of back-step he would have hoped for. The only things connecting the tale of this book to the previous four are Trull Sengar and The Crippled God. And the new characters are as good as any that have enchanted me previously. Even Kruppe isn’t missed. Although, this is the only Malazan Chronicles book that doesn’t feature the Malazans at all. On one hand are the Letherii: conquerors of a sort that make the Malazans look tame, displaying greed and evil to an unfathomable height. On the other hand, the four Sengar brothers are the screws holding together another interesting arc. The Tiste Edur are poised against the Letherii, yet others lie in the shadows, meddling the supposed principles. Betrayals of the past, too, ask a price too high for most to pay. But the war isn’t the only arena. Setting up multiple stages well is an Erikson classic. A Letherii slave offers interesting insights while setting up an interesting tale. The Crippled God does his meddling, as is usual. Trull Sengar, Seren Pedac and Brys Beddict play out their lives as anomalies to the world they lie in, while events culminate quickly. This isn’t a simple war, a clash of two countries, filled with patriotism. A war between two opponents, neither of which deserve to win. 

 

Erikson is brilliant. No lie. How could one man have envisaged, developed and birthed so many characters and then also written out his tale with such poetic magnificence. Simply unsurpassable. Each book presents a unique flavor of grimdark, so much so that even though the books are very long, each one pushes you to the next. Brilliant. Yet another dangerous cast; dangerous because the author is a genius at making you fall in love with fictional constructs. But just because they are fictional do not assume they don’t have lessons to impart. Lessons of greed, lessons of lust, heartbreak and even minimalism, of all things. The Letherii are a lesson that winning doesn’t imply you deserved victory. The author once again succeeds at tying up every single piece of writing into one book: it isn’t a collection of short stories, and every person’s thoughts and knowledge offers insights into someone else’s actions. And they don’t remain stagnant: victims to the vagaries of passing time, their perceptions and beliefs change. In some ways, they’re more like the reader’s companion: experiencing shock alongside us, feeding fears and feeling horror. 

The best part about reading an Erikson book is that it’s almost self-contained and can be read standalone, but also provides just enough hints, cliffhangers, and vague pushes to read the others. But this is one book that has very few of those. For those who find Gardens Of The Moon too hard to get through, this can be an alternate entry point. The concepts of Holds are explained way better than Gardens Of The Moon did. The Letherii way of life and conquest, the Tiste Edur beliefs and customs, the convergence of old friends and even older enemies, all make for a very entertaining book. Tying it up with tales of the First Empire from the first four books, and keeping things tight by changing the active players of the pantheon. 

I love to give the grimdark warning on these ones, yet it is difficult to explain: all five books so far have been of a different kind of grimdark. This one tells the tale of unbridled, reckless ambition. And also a warning to people that it doesn’t matter if you are incapable of evil: the people around you are, and you can be a victim for no fault of your own. Beware of bad people. The author doesn’t shy away from giving jolts aplenty: bad things will happen to your favorite characters, for no one, not ascendants nor gods, are untouchable. Brace!

There’s very little I can say without spoiling all the nice surprise tidbits. The buildup is fiery right from the beginning, the excitement is sustained through shifting geography and changing character, and the finish is just the kind that satisfies while making you wanting more...

Another really moving read. It’s fascinating how deep grimdark manages to touch the deepest human feelings in a reader. The best part about the first five Malazan Chronicles I have read is that each one provides insight into yet another kind of evil, suffering, grief and pain. Unique and enchanting.