Midnight Tides: A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen (edition 2007)

This is part five in Steven Erikson's epic 'The Malazan Book of the Fallen' series. A series that has to be read completely and in order, because each book is a continuation of sorts of the last. Of sorts, because this book focuses on an area and characters we haven't met before, but who have or will have a connection to the bigger story soon enough.

In this book we mostly meet Letherii (human people) and Tiste Edur from the land of Lether. The Tiste Edur are united for the first time under a Warlock King who has a new kind of power. He sends the four Sengar brothers to find a sword that has been given to him and can be found in the ice of the north. When one of the brothers touches the sword with his skin, something forbidden by the King, the world of the Tiste Edur changes. Meanwhile in Letheras (the capital of the Letherii empire), a city in an empire built on greed, we follow Tehol and his servant Bugg, two of the funniest characters in the series, who plot to bring down this economy of greed. When the Letherii plan to overtake the Tiste Edur and make them submit like many people before them, everything comes to a most awful head.

I loved the earlier parts of this series, and I loved this one even more. I think because the story was relatively simple (Tiste Edur on the one side, Letherii on the other) while still relating to the greater mythology of the series. Anyway, I couldn't put this book down and finished it in just three days, and I moved straight on to the next one. Five out of five stars. ( )

A little hard to get into, since this book introduces an almost entirely new set of characters on a different continent from any of the previous books. Once it got going, I was drawn into the story, though, and enjoyed it quite a bit. ( )

OH MY GOD TEHOL AND BUGG MY HEART.

I have nothing of any substance to say anymore. Steven Erikson, you destroy me. ( )

Ok thank you Seth for remind me that I need to post a review on this one and also make a shelve for it…

Here my review: everybody that knows me is aware of the fact that I’m terrified of paraphilia in books… why? You ask… well I dream most of what I read… (by the way I hate Cormac McCarthy for making me have one of the most fuck up nightmares I ever had…) that being said I think this book cured my fear of necrophilia!!!!! Hooray for sexy undead comic relief characters!!!!!
( )

This book also spans a huge chunk of time by starting with a story from ages past when Scabadari (leader of the Tiste Edur) and Silchas Ruin (the leader of the Tiste Andii) fought in a huge battle up to the more present day war between the Edur and the Leterii along with the ever present involvement of the Crippled God. If there is one thing you can say about Erikson it is that he isn't afraid of scope.

This story also offered me my frist glimpse of the Crimson Guard. In a world populated with an endless amount of total badasses the Crimson Guard seems like they fit in perfectly. That little taste is enough for me to want to read more about them and I will, eventually, once I get into Erikson's partner's books - The Novels of the Malazan Empire authored by Ian Esslemont.

Thus, even though this book started off a little slow by the end Erikson had won me over again. ( )