Product Description

In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the holly desert of Raraku, the seer Sha'ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising named the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in its size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the whole Malazan Empire.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7995 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 959 pages

Review
'Erikson is an extraordinary writer....treat yourself' Stephen R. Donaldson. 'A fantasy world as rich and detailed as you're likely to encounter....so engrossing you'll be hard-pressed to put it aside...an astounding debut' SF Site. 'Complex, challenging...Erikson's strengths are his grown-up characters and his ability to create a world every bit as intricate and messy as our own' J. V. Jones author of The Book Of Words trilogy.

From the Back Cover
A TALE OF THE MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN

In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha'ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising named the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in its size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends...

Embittered and enslaved, Felisin, youngest daughter of the disgraced House of Paran, dreams of escape from the horrors of the Otataral mines. However, freedom and revenge have their price: her soul. The outlawed Bridgeburners Fiddler and Kalam had vowed to rid the world of the Empress Laseen but it appears the gods have other plans. And Coltaine, the charismatic but untried commander of the Malaz 7th Army, will lead his war-weary troops in a last, valiant running battle to save the lives of thirty thousand refugees and, in so doing, secure an illustrious place in the Empire's chequered history. Then into this blighted land come two ancient wanderers, Mappo the Trell and his half-Jaghut companion Icarium, bearers of a devastating secret about to let slip its chains.

Set in a brilliantly realized world ravaged by dark, uncontrollable magic, this thrilling novel of war, intrigue and betrayal confirms Steven Erikson as a storyteller of breathtaking skill, imagination and originality - a new master of epic fantasy.

About the Author
Steven Erikson is Canadian by birth, he is a qualified archaeologist and anthropologist and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. He lives in Surrey.

Customer Reviews

This series just keeps getting better and better . . .
I discovered Erikson when a friend handed me his first book and said "You'll like him. He out-Black-Company's Glenn Cook." I devoured Gardens of The Moon in 3 days and waited until I could get the paperback of Deadhouse Gates. As in Gardens, Erikson weaves the stories of several compelling characters, including our old friends Crokus, Sorry, and Fiddler, as well as people only mentioned in passing from Gardens, like Captain Param's sisters . . . Unlike most military fantasy authors, Erikson understands that it's the characters that drive a story. And he spins a great one here.
I own 2 copies each of his books--one for me and one to lend. I just wish he was widely available here in the US.

Think of the Deadhouse Gates : Think on Death
Another epic escapade into the world of the Fallen.

This is no Tolkien vision of sweeping glades and smiling elder faces, this is a brooding, brutal and ultimately savage work of fantasy. Really, you can't help but love it.

The question that seems to lie at the heart of so many of the characters is: 'What is preferable, to fall so far that no remnants of your other self are left or to have died innocent, unfallen.'

Battles are fought, wars are waged, yet no distinction is made between the foes. Both are fighting for noble values, both are "good" and yet both have the capacity for evil. Something I've never come across in a fantasy novel before & depending upon your take on originality, a brilliant concept.

An incredible sequel to the stunning Gardens of the Moon
Gardens of the Moon was one of the most refreshing, most gripping and most original fantasy novels I have read for years. There's always a slight sense of trepidation involved in starting a brilliant debut author's second novel - knowing that the first may have taken seven years to write and the second only seven months - but I am pleased, nay delighted to report that Deadhouse Gates is a totally worthy successor to Gardens, and indeed, even manages to surpass the first in many respects.

The plot (which I won't reveal), is even more complex, more multi-layered and possesses more plot twists and surprises than you'll find in a dozen run-of-the-mill stock-fantasy novels. If you thought the characters, situations and action in 'Gardens' were gripping in the extreme, you'll be glad to hear that exactly the same level of detail and strength of narrative have gone into making 'Deadhouse' just as good in terms of quality, adventure and drama.

All I'll say to finish with is that anyone who reads and enjoys the likes of David Gemmell or George R.R. Martin absolutely has to try both 'Gardens' and 'Deadhouse', or risk missing out on one of the most utterly enjoyable fantasy reading experiences currently available.