Steven Erikson - Memories of Ice - Review

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Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson *****
Third Volume of Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Rating: Superb (five out of five stars).

The third installment of Steven Erikson’s Malazan books, Memories of Ice, is in many ways true to its predecessors – and yet “there is more.” It is, on its surface, an immense, epic tome, boiling with brutality, horror, betrayal and tyranny; all wrapped together into a seething, wicked narrative that rumbles along, like a relentless, vicious serpent. Yet, it is brimming with compassion, loyalty, honor, and there is a core of morality at its hard, gritty center that is wondrous, almost mystical in its depth. Memories of Ice, is at its core, a book of basic humanity and the fidelity of friendship. And it is a war story. It is often said that war brings out the worst and the best in humanity, and Erikson sets out in Memories to prove just that premise. Memories' twin themes of war and friendship are well-crafted by Erikson’s skillful pen.

While Memories of Ice may be at its heart a blistering war story, it is still straight-ahead fantasy-adventure in the best sense of the description. There is a plethora of spell wielding wizards and conjurers, priests and acolytes, gods and ascendants; there are mythical creatures, demons and avatars of immense death-wielding power. But the gods in Erikson’s world are not perfect, omnipotent, all-knowing beings, but instead they have very human qualities, which more resemble the gods of Greek and Norse mythology in their “human” frailties and their imperfections.

At the center of the story are the Malazan Bridgeburners, which Erikson introduced in the first volume, Gardens of the Moon. They are mostly a brigade of gritty and battle-hardened sappers and scouts accompanied by a cadre of wizards and healers. They have an oddly “inverted hierarchy” of leadership, which weighs heavily in the plot of the story. As the main thread of the story, it has most of the main characters: Paran, its captain, Whiskeyjack, though a Bridgeburner, he is now second in command of the army, Quick Ben, the very powerful wizard, who is more than he seems; there’s Blend, Picker, Spindle and Hedge, all soldiers and officers of the Bridgeburners and characters who figure well in the story of war-torn Genabackis.

Genabackis is the setting for Memories and a major battleground of the Malazan Wars, which has a new enemy: the Pannion Domin, lead by the ruthless and crazed Seer. The Seer, much like the Crippled god, whom he serves, believes in inflicting suffering on humanity in large doses, and he has not only a traditional army, but a sub-army of starved, crazed followers who literally devour their enemies. But cannibalism is only one of the weapons in the Seers' arsenal: there is also an ancient army of large, mythical demons, which have blades for arms and hands and move like lighting onto their victims.

This time, unlike Gardens, there is an alliance between Anomander Rake and the Malazan Army. Anomander, or Lord of Moon’s Spawn, is an ascendant and Knight of High House Dark. Rake wields a dark sword of chains, which is woven into the main plot of the story. Inside of Rake’s sword, dwell its unhappy victims, who are chained to a large wagon of souls. Also, Caladan Brood, Burn’s Avatar (goddess of the earth), has joined the alliance against the Seer. Together they all set out to make alliances with the other hosts of Genabackis, and advance into the Seer’s domain, seeking to destroy both the Seer and his armies. In the meantime, the Seer has plans of his own, and he is advancing on the ill-fated city of Capustan, where Fate awaits.

In the Capustan thread is the mercenary host called the Grey Swords. Although they are mercenaries they are both honorable and loyal fighters who serve a fallen god, Fener, the Boar, and god of war. A lot of this thread has its roots in the previous volume, Deadhouse Gates, and it is recommended that the series be read in order. Helping the Grey Swords and Capustan is a handful of other mercenaries - the caravan guards, Gruntle, Stonny, Buke and Harllo. They are great characters and new additions to Erikson’s story, who figure prominently in the battle for Capustan, and the campaign against the Domin.

There are other players in this tale who are too numerous to go into in any real depth: The mysterious Lady Envy, and her small accompanying host, assorted gods and ascendants, manipulators who have designs on the Deck of Dragons, an odd and humorous pair of necromancers; there’s Kallor, ancient king of Brood’s host; and Korlat, tragic lover of Whiskeyjack. Did I mention that Memories is also a love story? There are a few returning characters whom I cannot mention, because it would spoil some of the threads from the previous Malazan books. The T’lan Imass, Tool, the “First Sword,” returns from Gardens, who forms a fast friendship with one of the Malazans, which ultimately evolves into one of the most genuine, warm and human threads in the novel. But the entire book sparkles with sudden moments of humanity, love, friendship and honor amid the dark backdrop of savage death and chaos, which pervades most of Memories. It demonstrates the human condition at both its worst and its best, at least in Erikson’s world.

In the final thread is the enigmatic Silverfox, a child who will summon the army of T’lan Imass, living dead, and the curious army of Ays, ancient, wolf-like creatures, which are a part of Rhivi lore. Silverfox is a bonecaster, who within her resides a small host of dead magicians from Gardens of the Moon. She is mostly accompanied by Kruppe who also returns from Gardens. Kruppe is perhaps the most enigmatic character of the story. Yet he provides some of the most comic moments of the story, which are well needed for their levity.

If this review seems a bit overly long, it is because Memories is such a huge story, filled with the kind of characters, plotlines and world-building that one would expect from a fantasy series, which is epic in its scope, and superb in its imaginative story-telling. Memories, which forms an unfolding, perfect union - thus far - with Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates, is fantasy and fiction at its very best.

[ December 20, 2005, 02:17: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]

 

Erikson rocks, everyone else sucks!

 

What a great review of a great book. Thanks for explaining a few things to me as well. This is truly an epic book but you're a genius if you get your head around everything that is going on it it. Erikson does rock.

 

I think the main question here is: Is it understandable??

 

The main thread of the story is understandable and most of the characters are understandable. But there is SO much going on that I would not say that EVERYTHING is understandable. Think about Lord of the Rings and tell me if you understood everything about that first time around (such as why the heck the Elves HAVE to leave Middle-Earth). Same idea with these Erikson books.

 

Thanks, HB, and I completely agree that the main thread of the story is understandable. Some of the sub-plots did not make sense until I got to the middle of Memories, and then things started falling into place a bit better. I really, really like these books. Many thanks to you HB, and to Joac, for turning me onto this great series of books!

[ December 11, 2005, 04:54: Message edited by: Chandos the Red ]

 

Just a little typo, it's Anomander Rake.


Otherwise agreed, it's great stuff. And it lasts for a while, which cant be said for most others, who get devoured in a day or two
I really should practise come self-control and slow my reading. On the upside, though, i do get to catch minor details when i read it again sometime later. There's definite fact concerning the Malazan books

 

Definately the best of the five currently published, I had some trouble with Gardens and Deadhouse, but memories of Ice finally continued the Gardens thread thus making it much more enjoyable than Deadhouse. Same goes for House of Chains which was more enjoyable than Deadhouse because you finally knew what was going on.

 

Amen!

Great review Chandos.

 

I've finished it. It's been the best so far.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Even if all people in this story seem to end up as gods? But again, funny characters: Lady Envy, The two necromancers and their loyal servant, Kuppe, Toc the younger (to some degree), Tool. This is becoming something like a trademark. More tragic, depressing story-lines (Those Grey-Swords and the pain-addicted shield anvil, the fast withering and fading mother) accompained and contrasted by very funny, light-hearted bits.