Product Description

The Letherii Empire is in turmoil. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness, while the Errant, once a farseeing god, appears suddenly blind to the future. Driven by the corruption and self-interest, the empire edges ever-closer to all-out war with its neighbouring kingdoms. And the great Edur fleet draws ominously ever closer. With Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer among its warriors, that blood will be spilled is certain. But a band of fugitives look to escape from Lether. One of them, Fear Sengar, seeks the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye, for he hopes that with its help, they might halt the Tiste Edur and so save the emperor, his brother. But another is Scabandari's old enemy: Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake. He carries scars inflicted by Scabandari, and such bloodshed cannot go unanswered. There is to be a reckoning and it will be on an unimaginable scale...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26875 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 1280 pages

From the Inside Flap
The Letherii Empire – driven by the corrupt and self-interested – is crumbling. Surrounded by sycophants and agents of his venal chancellor, the Emperor Rhulad Sengar descends into madness. Conspiracies abound. The imperial secret police conduct a campaign of terror against its own people. The Errant, once a farseeing god, is suddenly blind to the future. Scenting chaos, dread forces are closing in from all sides.

Against this turbulent, treacherous backdrop, a band of fugitives are trying to flee the empire. One of them, Fear Sengar, seeks the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye, for this might save his brother, the emperor. However, with them travels Scabandari’s most ancient and bitter foe: Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake. The still-fresh wounds he carries on his back were made by the blades of Scabandari; his motives are anything but certain.

And the great Edur fleet – its warriors selected from countless peoples – draws ever closer to home. Among its number are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer – each destined to cross blades with the emperor himself. But in crossing half the world, the Tiste Edur have left behind a tide of blood. Such brutality cannot go unanswered. For some there must be a reckoning, for some this is far from over...

A brutal, harrowing tale of war, betrayal and dark, uncontrollable magic, this is epic fantasy at its most imaginative, storytelling at its most thrilling.

From the Back Cover
The Letherii Empire is in turmoil. Rhulad Sengar, the Emperor of a Thousand Deaths, spirals into madness while the Errant, once a farseeing god, appears suddenly blind to the future. And the venal self-serving courtiers who claim the emperor’s ear seem intent on waging all-out war against the empire’s neighbours.

And there is the matter of the Edur fleet that draws ever closer. Amongst its warriors are Karsa Orlong and Icarium Lifestealer and their presence alone means that blood will be spilled.

But a small band of fugitives seeks a way out. One of their company, Fear Sengar, hunts the soul of Scabandari Bloodeye, for with its help they might halt the Tiste Edur and save the emperor, his brother. However Silchas Ruin, brother of Anomander Rake, also travels with them. He carries wounds made by the blades of Scabandari, and seeks revenge. There will be a reckoning – and it will be on an unimaginable scale...

About the Author
Archaeologist and anthropologist Steven Erikson is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. His first fantasy novel, the bestselling Gardens of the Moon, opens his epic 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' sequence and was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award. The equally acclaimed subsequent volumes are Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, House of Chains, Midnight Tides, The Bonehunters and Reaper's Gale. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Customer Reviews

Exceptional
There is no better author in this genre, past or present, than Erikson. The Malazan series is prolific for the epic fantasy genre in its scope, integrity, and intellectual value, the latter of which standing as the author's most inspiring quality. To me, what makes a fantasy writer great is their ability to make an entirely new world, with fictitious races and magic, credible and believable; to achieve this and furthermore add the grit of 'real politick', emotional depth, and interesting characterisation makes for an exceptional read. The majority of the fantasy genre suffers from being too simplistic in the way people, be them individuals or races, are cast; crass definitions of good and evil, and sickeningly obvious, righteoeus heros, are the traditional exponents of fantasy. This is not so with Erikson. There is substance to the narrative, oftentimes to a very grim reality, and he writes with an almost philosophical flavour which is at times breathtaking.

The main problem with Erikson's work stems from his ambition. The sheer scope of what he is trying to achieve with this series is almost impossible to clearly commit to the written word - his work has no obvious central plot line, or central character, and therefore it fleets between numerous times, places, and people. This fractures the reader's perception of the many, many details and concepts Erikson is attempting to push upon the reader. I happen to think that this actually lends Erikson's work conviction, as it makes it real. Life tends not follow a clearly defined path, and is often confusing. But Erikson's ability to bring the reader back to his way of thinking, even when you're seemingly lost, is one of unique excellence. The series is testing, and therefore intellectually rewarding.

Reaper's Gale, for me, is the best book in the series since the first, 'Gardens of the Moon'. Whilst 'Deadhouse Gates' and 'Memories of Ice' are certainly credible, and indeed more obvious choices, the strength of 'Reaper's Gale' lies in the pivotal nature of the books substance. It is this book that begins to make extremely important and long plotlines much clearer - the formation of the warrens and relation of magic, the T'lan Imass and Jaghut saga, the reawakening of Master of the Tiles, the re-emergence of Silchas Ruin and his secrets, more insight into the history of the malazan empire including the Bridgeburners, Lasseen, and Kellanved and Dancer - are just several of the main threads attended to in this book. It is also bolder in its portrayal of some of the darker characters in the Malazan series in visceral battles, deeply uncomfortable scenes of abuse, and bitter tragedy. The book is brilliant, the series is brilliant, and I recommend it without reservation to anyone seeking a challenging but deeply rewarding read.

Great read!
If I could sum it all up in two words, it would have to be "hot damn!"

As Malazan fans, we all know how Steven Erikson enjoys using misdirection to fool us. Every single thread of this convoluted, multilayered plot seems to be twisted upon itself, and nowhere is it more apparent then in this novel. One piece of advice: Expect the unexpected. You think you know where the tale is headed? The author will rapidly disabuse you of that notion! There are more surprises in Reaper's Gale than in the rest of the series, it seems. On several occasions, I found myself closing the book, shaking my head, unable to believe that this had just happened.

Although titanic in size (910 pages), the pace throughout Reaper's Gale keeps you turning those pages, eager to discover more and more. There is no sluggish plotline akin to the Mhybe in Memories of Ice, making this one a veritable page-turner. Still, a few storylines at the very end were, at least in my opinion, a little rushed. It doesn't take anything away from the tale, mind you, yet I would have liked for Erikson to maintain the same rhythm from start to finish, as the pace in this one was more or less perfect. After all, when a book weighs in at over 900 pages, what's 10 or 20 extra pages thrown into the mix!?!

The worldbuilding is, once more, grandiose. No other fantasy series, past or present, can match The Malazan Book of the Fallen in vision, ambition and scope. Steven Erikson seems to delight in making us squirm, offering us tantalizing glimpses that make us beg for more. In a series that already resounds with more depth than anything ever written in the genre, the author still raises the bar even higher.

Most storylines grab hold of you and won't let go. In addition, I felt that many scenes bring a new emotional level that had yet to be seen in the series.

Much like The Bonehunters, this novel contains its share of cliffhangers. With so many different threads interwoven together, I don't believe that it's humanly possible for Erikson to write self-contained installments anymore, not with the action occurring on various continents and realms of existence. Having said that, even though the ending doesn't offer resolution of every single plotline, Reaper's Gale is brought to a satisfying conclusion. Unlike The Bonehunters, which ended with a series of cliffhangers, this one does provide readers with closure.

The characterizations play a major role in this one. Erikson has the damnable ability to introduce us to characters on which very little is known and who somehow become fan favorites. Redmask and Silchas Ruin are two such characters. As for the rest of this immense cast, I must admit that character development made me like Quick Ben, Seren Pedac and Trull Sengar even more. A lot has already been said about the bodycount. As the title implies (Hood is the Reaper of Souls), no on is safe in this novel. There are a lot of casualties in Reaper's Gale, especially toward the end, when several important characters die. I think even George R. R. Martin would be impressed by the number of deaths! Now, everyone is dying (no pun intended) to discover who will live and who will die. Please don't ask me, for I won't say. I'll tell you that one death in particular is as important -- at least to me -- as the one that shocked readers in Memories of Ice. For the rest, you'll have to find out for yourself!

Steven Erikson's broadness of vision fills me with awe. Reaper's Gale is one of the best Malazan volumes, second only to Memories of Ice and Deadhouse Gates. It is definitely one of the fantasy books to read this year. If you only have money to buy a single book this spring, this is the one to purchase!

Call me crazy, but for my money The Malazan Book of the Fallen is the best fantasy series around! I know it's early yet, but unless Jordan and/or Martin release something before the end of 2007, Reaper's Gale could well be the fantasy book of the year.

Check out my blog: www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

7 down - only 3 left to go - what will I do then?
I've read all the books to date, read them and re-read them before even starting the latest volume. They hooked me in right from the start, and Reaper's Gale has been another great installment. I have to say that for me the first three books were in a class of their own, but all the ensuing books have been amazing quality.

This book is no exception, you start off slowly and it builds to a magnificent emotional ending. Smiles and tears are again the order of the day, thank you Mr. Erikson for giving me the opportunity to suspend reality while dipping toes in your malazan universe.

Thank you this time around for Beak and Bottle, Trull and Onrack, Fiddler and Hedge and all the countless others we have met along the way.

Thank you for taking your dream of a story and allowing us through the door.