2024 reread: it’s interesting going through this again knowing for sure what happens, rather than have a bit more than a feeling about what Bakker is doing, but still being along for the ride regardless of the kind of violence that takes place. Especially to women. But, thankfully, that is the actual point of the world and the antagonist. The “dark” in the fantasy is, essentially misogyny. It’s rightfully hard to read, and it permeates the world, is made manifest, quite slowly.

If there’s one flaw of these first three, it’s that they really feel like one novel, cut up to three. There is a resolution in each, but it really feels like the first book is all build up, and lots of the second, too. The soft world building doesn’t inundate the reader with how different the world is. And it is really different. From evocative, alternate words for most esoteric things, certainly the fantastical, it is a slow descent. So much so, I would say that not all that much actually happens, in terms of plot beats. But it’s immersive and, if you can extend some good faith while you enjoy it, there’s not really anything like it out there. People will say Read Malazan. I tried. The first book was boring—the opposite of what I got out of this, all the way through. It immediately has me pick up the next up. Even as it builds a sense of dread in the reader as to what may be happening. And he pulls it off twice. Once at the end of this trilogy, and again at the end of the whole series.


I really enjoyed this even though I found it to be quite dense around 150-250 pages in. It jumps around to different factions, which is always interesting, but it is a lot to remember sometimes. The nice thing about listening to audio book was the pacing the reader took. Because it was slower than reading it was easier to digest, I think.

It doesn’t read like typical fantasy, which I can’t usually get through. I like the prose, which don’t overstay their welcome but paint evocative details. The world is interesting, the characters complex. There are definitely no “heroes”. The only thing that stood out was sometimes the writing was a litttle cringe when it turned its eye to women in regards to characterizing other male characters, which is pretty eye roll worthy and tropey. Otherwise it was very novel for me and I will definitely continue on to the next book as well.