One of the first thoughts that surfaced after finishing this one was "only two more to go". I have, for a couple of books now, grown increasingly tired of this ever expanding fantasy universe of malazans, gods, ascendants, warriors, priests, soldiers, dragons, undead dragons and whatever else can be imagined.

Not that I'm not enjoying it. In theory, this is what appeals to me the most in reading (or watching) said genre. There is a delighted smirk on my face each time there's an undead jaghut telling a poor joke, or when an elder god can no longer hide it's human smallmindedness. As well as my heart fills with warmth when the mighty warrior in the midst of battling whatever horrific apparitions that may have come in his way suddenly sees his long lost pet appear. These are the things that have kept me going for eight books now (I shudder at the thought of how many pages that amounts to!) d will probably be what makes me read the last two books sometime in the future.

That, and the fact that Erikson is a mighty fine writer. Sometimes profoundly poetic and beautiful, while at other times as gritty and ugly as is has to be in the midst of battle. He's also a philosopher with deep thoughts concerning faith, religion, life and death. The big questions, still never ignorant of how the small ones affect and are affected by these. He paints wonderful portraits of his characters, even those who pass by for just a couple of pages. And if they're not always 100% believable, they make up for that by being extraordinarily extaordinary instead.

That said, there are issues at hand that need addressing. While I found this book to be much more introvert and philosophical than the previous ones (not that they lack that, of course), and while this really appealed to me, I feel it came at the cost of the storyline. There is a convergence of powers happening in this book - a beginning to an end - that I feel kind of unprepared for. Like that the build-up doesn't really take place until a good thousand pages in, and by then everything has already been set in motion without the reader (well, me, at least) being in on it, since all attention has been on what everyone is thinking, rather than doing. And that's a shame, because even though there's (for the eighth time now) a truly epic finale, the lack in build-up takes away some of the epicness from it.

Overall, though, this was a step up from the previous three-ish books in the series, which left a lot more to be desired. There is hope still, that mr. Erikson will prove himself worthy the task of concluding this epic tale.

I just hope he needn't keep using the f-word. It's profoundly f-ing misplaced in this - or any - work of fantasy. Really. It just sounds too "real world".