It starts off as being the best work I've read by Erikson. The way he describes the culture of the Teblor and reintroduces Karsa Orlong, whom we've already met in [b:Deadhouse Gates|55401|Deadhouse Gates (The Malazan Book of the Fallen, #2)|Steven Erikson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316126263s/55401.jpg|3898716] almost without hints as to why and how this has anything to do with previous entries in the series. (And because he changed his namne later on, I did not realize who Karsa Orlong was until much later in the book.) Since I started reading this just after [b:Memories of Ice|175983|Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #3)|Steven Erikson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316729348s/175983.jpg|836462], that made it feel fresh and inriguing. I don't think I would've appreciated to stay in the company of the Bridgeburners right away.

Speaking of the Bridgeburners, they do play their roles in this adventure as well. And one of my favorite assassins, Kalam Mekhar, is back with a vengeance. But their presence is disturbed by hordes of new characters, new races and warrens and dragons and big fish. It's really messy, although averything is as over-the-top as usual, so while I on one hand want to be very critical, I also must admit that every page leaves me smiling with delight at everything that's happening.

I've mentioned in one of my other Malazan reviews that Erikson's novels remind me of my sejours as a roleplayer. It is so in this book as well. Almost every character seems to have been "played". Be it a god or a Bridgeburner or an undead warrior or even a demon - they possess all too human flaws. That make them believable, believe it or not.

So while I'm bothered by Erikson's habit of throwing a barrage of new characters at me, I'm also thankful that these same characters are so damned enjoyable to read about. They save this book. It's the characters that make it worth reading.

Because the story... I cannot even begin to try to describe it. There is - of course - the main storyline of the forming of the House of Chains, but it's so shattered (which in itself is ironic, given the underlying theme of said house and it's members) that it's too hard to follow it to also be able to enjoy it. There's also the ongoing saga of the Bridgeburners, but that one moves along so slowly that it's almost painful. The Shakespearian climax of the clash in Raraku turns into an anticlimax and the build-up to that climax is nothing short of a mess.

No. I had too much of a hard time getting to know these new characters while at the same time trying to create a coherent storyline to enjoy this book as much as I have the previous three. But at the same time, this is fantasy as it should be (at least in theory) and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy reading it.

The rather neutral "I enjoyed it" is a suitable rating for this one.