Product Description

On the Letherii continent the exiled Malazan army commanded by Adjunct Tavore begins its march into the eastern Wastelands, to fight for an unknown cause against an enemy it has never seen. The fate awaiting the Bonehunters is one no soldier can prepare for, and one no mortal soul can withstand - the foe is uncertainty and the only weapon worth wielding is stubborn courage. In war everyone loses, and this brutal truth can be found in the eyes of every soldier in every world. Destinies are never simple. Truths are neither clear nor sharp. "The Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen" are drawing to a close in a distant place, beneath indifferent skies, as the last great army of the Malazan Empire seeks a final battle in the name of redemption. Final questions remain to be answered: can one's deeds be heroic when no one is there to see it? Can that which is unwitnessed forever change the world? The answers await the Bonehunters, beyond the Wastelands.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1813 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-17
• Released on: 2009-08-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 509 pages

About the Author
Archaeologist and anthropologist Steven Erikson's first fantasy novel, Gardens of the Moon, marked the opening chapter in his epic 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' sequence and was shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award. Seven equally acclaimed bestselling volumes have followed. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Customer Reviews

Satisfyingly epic, despite some ongoing issues.
Dust of Dreams is the penultimate novel of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Steven Erikson's immense ten-volume saga chronicling the story of the Malazan Empire and its legions and the peoples and tribes it comes into contact with. More accurately, Dust of Dreams is also the first half of an immense 1,800-plus-page single novel, to be completed by The Crippled God when it follows (hopefully) next year. This, then, is the beginning of the end and the start of the final act of this immense series, certainly the most ambitious work of epic fantasy ever attempted.

Reviewing the ninth of a ten-book series feels slightly redundant. By now, people know if Erikson is for them or not. As a result, this review will likely be of most interest to those readers who perhaps felt that the series' second half has been more disappointing than its initial half, with the acceleration of the expansion of the cast of characters, concepts, races and forms of magic reaching an increasingly convoluted and over-complex pace. It is hard to argue with this, and the fact is that Dust of Dreams introduces yet many more new characters, ideas, forms of magic and concepts. Whilst it is certainly the case that we get some long-standing mysteries resolved in this book - like why exactly Tavore had to break with the Malazans and bring her army to the far side of the planet - other mysteries are left unaddressed or even further complicated by events. If Erikson takes the literally hundreds of questions left dangling by the series and answers them satisfyingly in the final book of the series I will be surprised, but I have a nagging feeling that an awful lot of stuff is going to be left for the already-promised nine additional Malazan books that Erikson (and four more from his co-writer Ian Esslemont) has been contracted for.

Dust of Dreams is certainly far more proactive in plot than the largely static and introspective Toll the Hounds, and returns to the format of many of the earlier books in the series: a lot of set-up and ponderous navel-gazing punctuated by some humour followed by a convergence of forces, usually in a massive battle sequence. The humour is great (although Tehol, one of Erikson's more reliable sources of comic relief, is actually severely annoying in this novel) and the characters in the Malazan army and occupied Letheras are mostly well-drawn, but the traditional problems of having tons of pretty identical 'salt of the earth' Malazan soliders with stupid names who can debate morality and political theory at the drop of the hat remains intact. Erikson's characterisation is also suspiciously transparent here: many of these soldiers, established not just here but in The Bonehunters, Reaper's Gale and House of Chains as well, seem to have scenes just so we feel sympathy for them later on when they are killed (or at least their fates are left hanging). For some of the characters this works, but for most it doesn't.

On the prose style, Erikson's writing ability remains impressive but is often mis-aimed: a lengthy five-page debate on morality between two characters often seems to end in the stunning realisation that it's wrong to use civilian shields in warfare, or unrestrained capitalism and the exploitation of poorer nations through trade is as bad in its own way as slavery and colonialism. Stunning insights into the human condition, these are most definitely not. As a result progress through the novel can feel like wading through treacle until the story actually gets moving again.

At the same time, Erikson still has an almost-unmatched ability to bring together subplots and characters in interesting combinations, moreso in Dust of Dreams as more of the puzzle of the entire series is unveiled and we begin to get a sense that most of those annoying minor elements that played virtually no constructive roles in previous books - such as Icarium and his machine, the Eres, the Shake, a certain journey through the Imperial Warren, Stormy and Gesler's long-ago transformation and the endless emo Tiste Andii moping around - are all vital pieces of the puzzle. The sheer breadth of Erikson's imagination, the scope of his world and the ambition of his story remains staggering and genuinely impressive, although arguably the weight of that narrative is so heavy that the author struggles in places to get his vision across.

Events culminate in a battle sequence that redefines the meaning of the word 'epic'. This series has had its share of massive engagements, from the Chain of Dogs through the Siege of Capustation and the Battle of Y'Ghatan through to the Bonehunters' rampage across the Letherii Empire, but what happens at the end of Dust of Dreams and the forces brought to bear eclipse everything that has come before combined. The novel ends on a colossal cliffhanger - for the first and last time in the series - with the immediate threat apparently receding but with the tally of the survivors incomplete. The fates of literally dozens of named characters are left hanging in the balance until the final book arrives, hopefully next year.

Dust of Dreams (****) is a typical latter-period Malazan novel, by turns infuriating and impressive, turgid and lyrical, slow and immensely action-packed. It's a stronger book than The Bonehunters and Toll the Hounds, possibly Reaper's Gale as well, and leaves the reader wanting more, which in the final analysis is a good thing, but there remains the nagging feeling that if Erikson could cut to the chase a bit more, the series would not only be shorter but also considerably stronger. Still, a bit late in the day to worry about that now. The book is available now in the UK and will be published in the USA on 19 January 2010.

Hood's breath, what a book!
Excellent. Magnificent. Thought provoking. All apt descriptions of this latest installment of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
If not for the note from the Author at the start of the book you'd be forgiven for cursing Erikson using various inventive Malazan derogatives. However, his acknowledgment that he's setting us up for an absolute treat takes the edge off of what would otherwise be a very frustrating ending.
In awe though I may be, there is a very tiny voice in the back of my skull that keeps nagging away about a few things.

First-although the different POV snippets that make up any chapter focusing on the Malazan marines started off as wonderfully charming and, often, downright hilarious, in Bonehunters and Reapers Gale I can't help but feel that this takes the pace off certain parts of the book and, like someone already mentioned, is a bit like wading through treacle. Delicious treacle, but treacle none the less.

Second- Erikson has put an enormous amount of pressure on himself to deliver in the final book of the series now. Just about every plot thread has been left loose and dangling and The Crippled God is going to have to be a novel of epic proportions (in scope if not quantity) if he doesn't want to disappoint the legions of fans he has acquired through his reputation as an author who can write consistently high quality stuff without 5 year gaps between novels (cough, George RR Martin!).

That being said this is undoubtedly one of the best Malazan books to date. For those malcontents amongst you who had a problem with Toll the Hounds (can't for the life of me see why, that's the best book I've ever read!) I think you're faith will be restored as Erikson pitches the perfect harmony between his unique philosophying and views on human nature and the fast-paced, descriptive, breathless action sequences that defined Deadhouse Gates and Memories of Ice. Throw in his wonderful ability to throw in a bit of humour that makes you laugh even in the darkest times and you've got all the ingredients of a worthy entry into the world of Malaz!

Magic Erikson
At times fans have wondered what Steven has had in mind for a number of characters that have previously appeared superfluous to the overall plot line and whilst this is the second to last part we know that its very closely tied to the final instalment. How? Well due to Steven's careful wording within the author note as well as the interview that appeared in last years Falcata Times Ezine.

What you get is not only well written but a novel that harkens to the Zorro shorts of the 50's and 60's that had the audience gasping week to week. Whilst he wasn't a fan of this concept, Steven has admitted that it needed to be done in order to get everything pulled together for the final epic conclusion. A great offering and a series that I get to enjoy every year due to rereads for which I notice subtle pieces that I missed before with the latest offering giving greater insight. Whilst this has been something of an epic tale (2.5 Million words to date) it is something that has to be read from the beginning and not jumped into nine tenths of the way through. If your unsure as to whether its right for you however look at the accolades as well as the massing army of fans who follow in his footsteps but you have to try at least the first two books to get a reasonable flavour of the world. A cracking offering.