House of Chains (edition 2002)

I raced through this fourth installment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson. And like with my previous review, it is pretty straight forward. For those who loved the first three parts of the series, you’ll love this one, and for those who didn’t love those, don’t read this one ;) . For those people who haven’t read the first three, please start at the beginning, this is really one long continuous story, a tale, a history.

I have to say, I love the character of Karsa Orlong, the huge barbarian from the hills. And I loved how some of the old familiar characters came back (I won’t say who because even the names can be spoilers). This book added more to the story, and I love how big everything is getting. Again, there is a lot in this book. A lot of events that happen, a lot of new questions that get added to the story, but also many connections that can now be made between different characters and events. What more can I say. I loved it, I give it five out of five stars, and recommend that anybody who started with this series and loves it, to keep going. So far it is still very, very good! ( )

Ok! Here is the thing! I know I’ve said before that I don’t want it when people vote for my reviews! But for this week I’ve changed my mind!!! I need votes! And I need comments! And I need comments in my profile! And I will comment in yours!


But Alfonso! Why the change of hearts!? you may ask yourself! Well that’s simple!

Read this:
If more people are interested in a book than there are copies available, we will pick the winners at our discretion. The factors that go into our algorithm are: randomness, site activity, genre of books on your shelves, current phase of the moon, and more. Only one entry is allowed per household.


You read that!? Site activity!!! I need that activity!!! Now!!!


Wait Alfonso! What the fuck are you talking about!? You may ask!!!


Well I just discovered a book a really REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY! Want to win in the giveaway section of goodreads!


But Alfonso! What book can it be that got you acting crazy like this!-you ask yourself again-


Firstly! You need to stop asking me that many questions!

And secondly it’s this one:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9634047-beauty-school-demon
everyone knows I’ve been looking for an erotic romantic comedy! I’ve asked the higher powers of goodreads in that department about it! (Kasia, The Book Huntress, and the nice ladies in the romance book club) and they said such thing didn’t exist! Unless I wanted to read some dude on dude! To which I said “hell no!” (not that there is anything wrong with dudes banging dudes, of course!) but now! NOW IS MY CHANCE!!!! It’s been my dream since I discovered that I love reading porn! (I had a larger collection of sex stories as a kid that I had of porn videos!) so… because of this I’ma be reviewing some of my old books to get votes and activity! Please help me!!! I NEED TO WIN THAT BOOK!!!! OH GOD! I WANT IT SO BADLY! (no badly enough to pay for it tho… I’m a cheap bastard!)


now let’s talk about the book I’m supposed to be reviewing here!!!

The House of Chains!


All you need to know about this book is that Karsa is badass! Like seriously! If you look Badass in the dictionary… well actually if you do you won’t see a picture of him… there should be a picture of Alucard! But if you look for a synonymous you’ll find Karsa’s picture next to it! that’s how badass he is! And this book have a shit load of that! You’ll find yourself more than surprised when you fall in love with this character! (in a manly way of course! If you a dude! Unless you a dude who bangs dude! In that which case there is anything wrong with that!) also you will find yourself wondering why you like him so much! Cuz the guy is also an asshole! He is into raping, stealing, murdering, more raping, rape and murder at the same time, rading his neibourghs for the hell of it!(yes he also rapes em!), eating raw cute little bunnies, beating women, alcoholism, drugs, performance enhancing drugs (that he uses to rape and murder) and many other acts of barbarism! Damn! Now that I think about it! why do I like that guy so much! Oh yeah! He does it in a cool funny way! Is adorable really!


There are also epic battles! And I think there is a love scene! I’m not sure! I may have been Karsa raping somebody! Shit! I read this stuff a while a go!


Uh! I almost forgot! SHOUT-OUT TO MARIEL!!!!!!


My list of badasses!

1. Alucard! Nobody is more badass than Alucard!
2. Paton! That guy was crazy!!!
3. Karsa! He planning to do the one thing that I’m palnning on doing one day! Kill a God! And not any god! The craziest god there is in Erickson’s world! !!!
4. Vegeta! HIS POWER LEVEL IS OVER 9000!!!!!!!!
5. Nosferatu Zodd from Berserk (he once got his arm cut off! And he grabbed with his other one and beat a guy to death with it!)
6. Brad Pitt in the fight club! (SWEAR IT FOR YOUR MOTHER’S EYES BITCH!)
7. Sam from Icarly!
8. Coltaine from the Wickans! (that guy was crazy!!)
9. Gendo Ikari from Evangelion! The man destroyed the whole world cuz he wanted his wife back! That’s badass!
10. Gatts from Berserk! (he survives the festival night!!! DUDE! THAT’S BAD ASS!)


( )

had been told that he loved to leave little hints about the future, bits of foreshadowing and what not, all over the place but I didn't really appreciate that until this book because this was the first time those connections were actually being made.

While Erikson still doesn't do much in terms of direct descriptions of people or places he does manage to subtly give you a lot of details on various characters and nations. In fact, I could easily see myself reading books that just focused on certain groups such as the tribes of the Toblaki or the Moranth. He has hinted at so much about these people that it would be cool to really dig into their cultures and histories.

At the moment I have my hands full just reading what he is writing. It isn't hard reading but I'm way behind in the series and have to catch up. Plus I really want to know what happens with Karsa and how his early actions in this novel will effect later episodes in the epic about Gods and the Malazan Empire. ( )

While I liked this book, it seemed to me a big dropoff from the first three in the series, all of which I loved. This one had some good parts, even some great parts. But through much of it I felt it was dragging and not going anywhere. I love the character brought in on this: Karsa Orlong. He has become one of my favorites in the series.

Overall, a good book. But to me it just fell short of what it could have been, as Erikson set the bar pretty high with his first 3 volumes to this series... ( )

House of Chains doesn't quite hold up to its immediate predecessors, although it's certainly a worthy entry. There are many new characters, and some (Karsa Orlong in particular, although all of the T'lan Imass we meet, the Tiste Liosan, and pretty much everyone involved with the Whirlwind) range from mildly to violently unlikeable. It's clearly on purpose, but it means that the majority of the story has much less emotional weight than the last two volumes.

A few words about Karsa Orlong and the issues he brings to the fore: I respect Erikson's boldness in beginning the book with a couple hundred pages from the perspective of an arrogant, violent, willfully ignorant barbarian who takes great pleasure in slaughtering his enemies and raping women. He also manages to bring the character through to a place where he's honorable and even somewhat likeable. I do not love that fact that this solidifies the pattern of rape as shock effect and/or plot device throughout the series - even when it's handled with some nuance. And it's not always handled with nuance, although the worst episode comes in a later book. It too often reads as voyeurism or, worse, wish-fulfillment, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that increases as the series goes on. It's the reason The Crippled God has been out for six months and in my possession for four and I've just now gotten around to a reread. I would like to come through this reread with the opinion that the series transcends its vices. I'm terribly afraid I won't. ( )