The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Decalogy by Steven Erikson

I can hardly expect to have grasped the fullness of this decalogy (yes, 10 books!) by having read only a fifth of the first book so far – I have barely scraped the tip of the iceberg. In spite of that considerable shortcoming, I must say one thing… Even though I appreciate the intricacy of the plot and the effort that the author put into building it, the beginning of the story falls short on “hooks” to keep me reading it. That and the constant naming of places and persons I am somehow supposed to know without being introduced to them, puts me off quite a bit.

Ok, important names are supposed to be told and all that, but when you’re laying the ground for a story you shouldn’t spend too much time describing political strife and the roles people – that haven’t even come into the picture – play in that conflict. When that happens, I can’t help but wonder if I should be taking a mental note on every little detail. What if I’ll be missing some real crucial piece of information if I’m not?

I prefer when a story begins with a simple narration of what a character is experiencing, by either the character itself or by a third person. I’ve read enough to feel I should have grasped more than I did so far, and am thinking seriously to start reading the book from the start.

Don’t get me wrong, I really want to like The Malazan Book of the Fallen. The critics are not unanimous about it being a colossal success, but most agree this is a ground-breaking and style-defining fantasy. I hope it is both, for if I do get to like it more than I do today, I know it will take me a long time to complete this decalogy.