by Else

(This is the second installment in an ongoing series. You can read part 1 here.)

Everybody loves to discover new books, new favorites, stay up to date with the latest releases. But sometimes a reread can add so much to a book. I love rereading my favorites every once in a while. Even though you know the story already, it can give you a lot of extra information on the second read. And because you already know where the story is going, you can focus on smaller details that you might have skipped, or had not registered, on your first read.

This is especially true for Malazan Book of the Fallen, my all time favorite fantasy series, as I mentioned in my previous episode of this new blog series. (Yes, this will be a 10-post series at least, and if someone asks nicely I might even extend it to the entire Malazan world, which will be like 26 books long. So… be prepared.)

I have just finished Deadhouse Gates, the second book in the main series. There are many different ways you can read Malazan Book of the Fallen, because the publishing order is not the chronological order, but I always prefer to keep to the publishing order. Different book series sometimes have different chronologies than they were published in; think of book series with prequels, or, like Malazan, with many different parts of the world getting highlighted. The events in Deadhouse Gates happen at the same time as the events in the third book, Memories of Ice, so those two are especially interchangeable (and both heartbreaking!).

In Deadhouse Gates, we move from the continent of Genabackis over to the continent of Seven Cities, which is on the brink of a rebellion against the Malazan Empire. This move introduces us to a whole host of new characters, but a few familiar faces show up to cross the continent as well. The main storylines in this book are about Felisin, a nobleborn who is a victim of the cull; Duiker, a historian attached to the Seventh Army, who are stationed in a hostile city that will soon rise up against them; Mappo Rel and Icarium, a duo of traveling friends, one of whom can’t remember his past and the other has secrets he does not want the other to find out, ever; Kalam and Fiddler, two soldiers from the Second Army who are on a mission of their own for which they have to cross the continent, a homecoming for Kalam, and a return to the place the Bridgeburners were born for Fiddler.

This book breaks my heart every single time. One of my favourite quotes ever comes from that book, and it is very apt in the real world too.

“Children are dying. That’s a succinct summary of humankind, I’d say. Who needs tomes and volumes of history? Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words.”

Malazan Book of the Fallen, while funny at times, does not classify as a ‘happy’ read. Deadhouse Gates got me thinking about the state of the world, the injustices of the world. This book might be more than 20 years old, but unfortunately it is still relevant today.

Next up is Memories of Ice, and that one is also a tearjerker and a heartbreaker. I don’t know if I am ready, but I’ll start anyway.