Deadhouse Gates

Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 2

By: Steven Erikson

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

Length: 34 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In the vast dominion of Seven Cities, in the Holy Desert Raraku, the seer Sha’ik and her followers prepare for the long-prophesied uprising known as the Whirlwind. Unprecedented in size and savagery, this maelstrom of fanaticism and bloodlust will embroil the Malazan Empire in one of the bloodiest conflicts it has ever known, shaping destinies and giving birth to legends.....

Set in a brilliantly realized world ravaged by dark, uncontrollable magic, this thrilling novel of war, intrigue, and betrayal confirms Steven Erikson as a storyteller of breathtaking skill, imagination, and originality - a new master of epic fantasy.

©2006 Steven Erikson (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Give me the evocation of a rich, complex, and yet ultimately unknowable other world, with a compelling suggestion of intricate history and mythology and lore. Give me mystery amid the grand narrative. Give me a world in which every sea hides a crumbled Atlantis, every ruin has a tale to tell, every mattock blade is a silent legacy of struggles unknown. Give me, in other words, the fantasy work of Steven Erikson." (Andrew Leonard, Salon)

Love it

These books are getting better and better. After thinking I've listened to all the good fantasy series, I'm so happy to find another great one. This series is truly original, and is possibly my favorite. The complexity of knowing all the names and places is a test for me - one that I will continue to work and improve on, and enjoy doing so. Google helps if you ever forget a name. I love everything about these books! 5/5!

Excellent

Excellent second book in a series. Nothing else really needs to be said about it.

Epic Storytelling embroided by Deep Philosophy

Steven Erikson is a master of his genre. After finishing the second volume, I am ever more excited to let him amaze me with his richly developed world filled with uniquely profound and incredibly multifaceted characters as the story goes on. I have not enjoyed a book series like this in a long time.

I had read Malazan Book of the Fallen once before, (although I had not finished the series back then, only up to the eighth book) but I realise now I had been too young to fully appreciate and understand everything the author wanted to convey. Also it was a translation, and despite the fact that it was very well done, it just pales in comparison to the original. Author's language is much more poignant and much more poetic in the original form, some of these aspects were sadly lost or diminished during the translation process. I am grateful beyond words I finally had the pleasure to experience this epic and philosophical work in its purest form. Ralph Lister's narration was spot on 99% of the time, with only a few minor hiccups in over 40 hours of read. I wonder whether I am going to be able to enjoy the books from the series that are not narrated by him as much, but I certainly hope so.

The story mainly focuses on several characters that were introduced in the first volume, namely two Bridgeburners, Kalam Mekhar and Fiddler, a young lad of Darujhistan, Crokus, and the former vessel of Cotillion, Apsalar, but it also introduces a score of new characters, such as Coltaine and Duiker, whose amazing but grueling journey I followed with my breath held, and also the younger sister of Ganoes Paran, Felisin. These are just some on the long list of captivating characters the reader/listener gets to meet on this incredible journey.

If you like dark fantasy and are not afraid to have your views of the world and thoughts about humanity itself challenged, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to you. It is worth every penny and I fully expect Erikson to be deemed as influential and irreplaceable to the fantasy genre as Tolkien himself by the generations to come.

My opinion only

Avid listener of this genre and had the most difficult time following the storyline. Narrator is fantastic just could seem to follow the story line well.

Plosive Ps

I love this book. Mr Lister's reading was for the most part fine, but the unedited mistakes, mispronouncing of words, and plosive Ps really stood out to me when they happened and were distracting.

The Thirsty Book

The characters in this book spend a ton of time walking through the the desert without water. Have a glass of your favorite beverage available as you listen.

When I finished Gardens of the Moon, I was at about 50-50 on whether to continue with this series. It was well written, but it didn't pull me in. It was more respect than love. I believed that the world was well drawn, but the scope too sweeping and the characters too numerous to try really get to know any one of them.

It gets better. This book continues with some of the characters, but not others. Thus it is a bit more manageable. As you read the series the sheer volume of words over time allows you to get to know the characters more fully. In other words: while huge in scope, it gets easier to grasp as you go along.

Erikson is very talented in that his landscape is very well painted. The setting for this series is an entire planet and he seems to want to cover everything that is happening on its surface. Moreover, he has no shortage of ideas when coming up with interpersonal, national, magical conflict. There is always some argument, earthquake, war, or magical existential crisis a chapter away. It makes you wonder how he will keep track of all the threads.

One thing I would challenge about the veracity of the characters is their glib misery. Erikson seems to want his characters to suffer most of the time. There are very few iotas of happiness in his books. It's mostly fighting, dying, being raped, descending into madness, suffering, or at least being annoyed. Despite this, his characters really do maintain a fantastically positive attitude. After so much smiling in the face of death, you begin to forget that there is so much of it in sheer volume. It makes me worry for the future of the narrative. If we are simply used to wholesale, abject death, where do you go from there to create tension?

That is but a small thing, however. I think I am in it for the long haul. I am on to the third book now and things keep getting better. I recommend carrying on to book 2 if you even kind of liked book 1. Lister does a really good job of voice characterizations even if they are not all the way I would envision the characters. He is consistent and has great cadence.

So fill your camelback and drop a credit on book 2. Enjoy.

What a great series

This series really pulls you in. The characters and the battles are well depicted and not predictable. Honesty this is one of the best series I have ever read.

Best epic fantasy novel I have ever read

This is an amazing book! It is fast-paced, the characters are well-designed and complex, there are many plot-lines that intersect at various (often unexpected) places. This material is dark-- but fascinating. Erikson also manages to sprinkle levity and fist-pumping moments throughout. I highly suggest reading Gardens of the Moon first (it's the first book in the series), because it will make Deadhouse Gates richer and more engaging.

As a warning, like any of Erikson's Malazan main books (I'm not including the Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas) require some focus. That means, you can't just listen to them-- you will need a paper copy with Dramatis Personae and Glossary to follow along. You also have to pay attention in order to understand what is happening and solve the puzzles that Erikson includes. However, Erikson rewards his audience for their attention by writing an incredible story so it is well worth the effort.

#UnlikelyHeroes #FemaleProtagonist #Dark #MilitaryFantasy #EpicFantasy #Provocative ( #tagsgiving #sweepstakes )

absolutely mind-blowing! 💯 💯 💯

I just have to say that was one of, if not the most exciting, enthralling, horrifying, disturbing, and masterful stories I've ever read. The characters, the world, the stakes, the mystery, the surprises, there is so much going on with this book that I look forward to multiple rereads in the future. I haven't had this much fun with a series, so far anyway, since I read A Song of Ice and Fire. I remember that being fairly challenging the first time through but this world seems like it dwarfs Westeros and Essos.

In years past I would have probably been too intimidated and given up on the first book Gardens of the Moon but I've prepared myself with several major fantasy series so it's not so bad now. Where it would have been too overwhelming before, it is just fun now to discover this world and the "show, don't tell" style is much appreciated. This book certainly does NOT spoon feed you anything, you have to use your head and really pay attention to every scene. Though once I got my bearings and a general idea of where all the characters were on the map it wasn't as difficult to follow as I've always heard. It was challenging but in a good way, and most importantly when you do pay attention you are rewarded. It felt so satisfying to anticipate certain actions or events and be proven correct shortly after. Then other things came out of nowhere and completely surprised and shocked me.

This is a 100% must read for any fantasy fan, if you let yourself be scared away because its a bit challenging then you are missing out big time. If you can make it through Gardens to get to this book then there is no way you won't be hooked. This was instantly one of my all time favorite books of any genre. I can't wait to start Memories of Ice!

Unbelievable

Brilliant from start to finish. Ralph Lister is amazing and the book is even better.